Zero Mission
by The Chozo Huntress
Summary: The Galaxy knows the terror of the Kromus Space Pirates. A war thought ended is about to resume in a fiery rage to consume the cosmos. And where the horrors begin shall be the birth of a legend, of the girl who would one day become a galactic savior. Part 1 of the Legacy series
1. Prologue - The Shattered Egg

Fire...screams...weapons discharging...

A nightmare made real.

The plains were burning. Her home was burning. Everything she knew was burning

She was being carried, her face buried in reddish golden hair. Her mother was trying to get them to safety. The Pirates had begun attacking, all for some Afloraltite, when it was clear that they had no intention of leaving anyone alive. This wasn't a raid.

It was a massacre.

Her mother kept running, getting out of the plains and now using the forests nearby as cover. More screams, the sounds of the dying, people being gunned down, some burned alive. How could anyone be so cruel and evil? Nothing made sense at all in the little girl's mind. This all…didn't make sense.

"John!"

Her mother's voice echoed as she called our her father's name. Her father…he was a hero. He had fought the Pirates in the war, he could save them. He was probably at it right now, teaching those Pirates why they should leave people alone. Gunshots could be heard. She knew that particular high pitch sound. Her father's pulse rifle. He was going to save them, he _had_ to save them.

And then the thud. A massive purple form had slammed down in landing before them. A growl as enormous wings opened up, veins visible within the yellow membrane. Glowing red-yellow eyes peered out at them, and after a moment, gleaming white fangs were flashed into a horrifying grin.

And that laugh.

"Going somewhere?"

She was set down on her own feet as her mother moved her around to stand behind her. "Stay behind mama, it's going to be okay, sweetie."

The creature only chuckled as flames begin to lick out from between it's teeth. Now on fours, it stalked toward them, cracking it's mouth open and allowing the flames to spill out. "Yes..it's all going to be over soon. Just a moment of flame, and utter agony."

And the flames roared. The screams filled the air, while that horrific laugh only continued. And as a three year old girl stared in horror, watching her mother burn alive, she felt her heart tear, her mind broken…and her throat went raw.

"MAMA!"


	2. Aftermath

**Earth Year 2975.355**

 **Mountain Point Academy  
** **Cheyenne, Wyoming**

Clothes found themselves shoved hard and tight into the storage case as the blonde young woman fought with a mix of anger and overwhelming sadness. She didn't have much, to be fair, but she was making sure to leave nothing behind, not after what had happened. A few holounits were thrown in, their impact cushioned by her clothes, and then the small holdout blaster she'd picked up during her time here. That, sadly, had been enough to clear out the already sparsely filled closet she'd been using.

But, again, she didn't have all that much to begin with. If there was anything she had learned over the last fourteen years, it was to travel light, and live light, because settling in was probably never going to happen again.

It had been two days since she had returned from the rather disastrous rescue and repair operation that was supposed to have been routine; a perfect training op for future officers. But it had resulted in the loss of five people instead. Yes, they had saved a ship of three hundred, but they shouldn't have lost those five in the first place. More importantly, one of them in particular should never have been lost. If she had just been allowed to do what she knew she could...if that damn man hadn't ordered his own enlisted staff to _restrain_ her, knowing she'd defy him.

That had been the last straw. Her resignation from the school was already tendered, filing already underway, and she was packing up to leave here, the Army Academy, and go back home. At least there, she could try to belong again, and the being who had cared for her would have some understanding of how she felt, rejected by her own kind in many ways; the outsider.

Even as she keyed the storage case shut and triggered the locks, she heard the chime at her door go off, announcing she had a visitor. She really was _not_ in the mood right now, and if it was _him_ , then she'd had pressed not to punch his damned lights out.

But, if it was one of her very few friends here, it might be worth it. At least she could have some company while she packed and cleared out.

And so, Samus Aran set her face, dried her blue-green eyes, and walked to the door to key the control unit. She braced herself, knowing it might very well be him, demanding her resignation be reversed, but to her relief, it was not. Instead, standing there, holding a bottle of bourbon and a case of cookies, was a very tall dark skinned man whom had a smile on his face; Anthony Higgs.

"Can I come in, or is anyone who was on that ship banned from seeing you before you go?"

The young blonde made sure her guest was inside her quarters before keying the door shut again. Another sniffle as she gave him a chance to set the offerings he brought on the nearby desk, and then, without hesitation, she threw herself into the open armed offer of a hug he gave. "No, especially not you, you lug." The young woman was trying not to break down in tears now that the anger had bled away, but she was very happy to see him. "Help me get my stuff all out of here before the Captain decides to try and talk me out of this. The more I avoid him, the better."

No arguments from Anthony as he picked up the storage case and slung it over his shoulder. He knew this would probably be the last time he saw Samus for a long while, but when a friend needed him, he wasn't going to refuse. And even he knew she had to do this. "Last I heard, he was still in debriefing with the brass over what happened. They are not happy about a routine repair going sour like that, especially involving you academy kids."

"Means he's probably not going to see that promotion that Admiral Dane was talking about," came the young woman's reply as she picked up the small backpack that contained the last of her belongings and slung it around her shoulder. After letting Anthony carry her storage case out, she looked back at the room, taking one last gaze at what had been her home for two years.

And then, she keyed the door shut behind her. A shift of the weight that was her backpack, and both Samus and Anthony were on their way, walking down the hall and toward the main lift. It was strange for her, knowing she probably would never be here again. After having spent three years with the army academy to become an officer, Samus was leaving the life she thought that would have done her family proud.

At least, that's what she'd once thought.

She'd not realized just how big a legend her father had been, a hero of the Kromus Wars, and the soldier who led the final charge that shattered the Kromus Imperium, once one of the greatest threat to the galaxy, into scattered bands of pirates that were more often at war with each other. At least, they had been until fifteen years ago.

No, now was not the time to dwell on the past. She was living in the now, and as painful as it was, she had her own future to push toward. That future needed her to leave here.

A few on their way to the lift met her gaze, gave solemn nods to show their respect to her. It had been an open secret before the incident, but with her leaving, she didn't want to bother hiding what had been going on. She was hurting, and everyone knew about it now. But they also knew that Samus needed her time. That much respect, she'd at least earned on her own.

Only a few feet left to the lift now. So far, no sign of Adam Malkovich. He was probably still in debriefing by the higher ups, like Anthony had said. That afforded her the precious time she needed to get to the shuttle and get away from the academy and the army. From there, she was set to meet with a freelancer who could take her to her next relay before going home. Cashing in a family favor. Seemed like the thing these days.

"Look, before you go..."

Samus looked up at her companion, noticing that he hesitated. He knew she wanted to leave as soon as possible, but she couldn't blame him for stalling her, for one last time as a friend. "I'm making one last stop before I leave, Anthony. You're welcome to come with me."

A sigh. It was contented, because they both knew it was going to be a long time before she came anywhere near the military again. "Going back to Iowa to visit the homestead?"

"I'm all that's left." Whatever family that remained with the name of Aran was either not close enough to know her, or had been on bad terms with her father as it was and wanted nothing to do with her. It was only fair then, since she...wasn't quite like the rest of them anyway. "I've got a few cousins, but they're all off world in the Exploration Corps. And to be fair, we never talked much anyway."

The journey down the lift tube wasn't long, but for Samus, it almost stretched on forever. She was anxious, a bit scared. This hadn't been the easiest decision to make, but she was going to see it through. It was all just a matter of making it off planet before her anxiety kick up to levels she knew would be a problem.

They reached ground level. The slight lurch almost startled her, with how focused inward on her thoughts Samus had been. Anthony gave her a worried look, but she smiled as best she could before shifting her backpack and leading the way to the main entry. "I've already got a ride on one of the outgoing shuttles to the main port just outside of Riverside, and I'll be meeting up with Hudson from there."

The doors slid open for them, and it took only a few steps for Samus to come to a horrified halt. Anthony blinked in surprise to see who was waiting there, about twenty feet away, almost as if expecting this exact moment. The airspeeder that was parked behind them didn't exactly help the situation either.

Still attired in full dress uniform, it was clear he'd come here straight from the debriefing, which had been at the local division headquarters across town. The only way he'd have gotten here in time was that he'd gotten word, somehow, that she was leaving. His timing had turned out, to her dismay, to have been perfect.

Samus growled, the scar over her left eye creasing. She was about to not even acknowledge the man standing there ahead of them, but he already had taken that step toward her. "I don't want to hear it, _Captain_ ," she hissed angrily. It got him to stop in his tracks after only a few steps. Good. "I've already made my decision."

The fact he started walking again was enough to tell her that he hadn't accepted that. "You don't have to make this mistake," were the words that Adam Malkovich had so chosen to begin his own argument with. Anyone else, it might had worked. But with her, that was the mistake, not her decision to leave. "Samus, I can still have your discharge papers nulled from the system-"

"Just stop it!" Her eyes were wide, but the glaze in them was pain, anger. Did he really not get it? This was all, beginning to end, the result of his mistakes, and he clearly wasn't accepting the fault. "I'm done, Adam! I'm done living in my father's shadow, I'm done being reminded every day that none of you think I'll ever live up to him..." Samus stopped, short of throwing something heavy at the man as Adam visibly flinched throughout her retort to him. "And I'm done listening to a man who let his own kid brother die without hesitation!"

He flinched again, this time not even making any move or visible effort to refute that accusation. Adam took a breath, knowing that he was not going to win this one. "I didn't want this, Samus, but I had four hundred other lives to consider too, including yours. I still think leaving the academy will be a huge mistake."

Typical. Even as she snorted, Samus was not going to hear it from him. She had a shuttle to catch, and then, she needed to get off planet so that she could put all of it behind her. Her shoulder shifted, readjusting her backpack, and she gave a nod to Anthony to follow. "Save it for someone who'll fall for it," came the snapped and angry reply. She didn't say anything more as she continued on her way. Or at least tried. Adam was already putting himself in her way again. Not a smart idea.

"Move."

He didn't. Idiot.

"Move now, or I _will_ break your legs."

A flinch. There was definitely a flicker of worry and fear in his eyes. Adam had seen many times what she was capable of. But he didn't move. "Look, I want us to talk about this, Samus. I know you're hurting, believe me. But you belong here with the Army, like your father would-"

"Don't you dare bring my _father_ into this!"

Anthony was already stepping away from her. Even he knew better that to push _that_ particular button. Judging from how Captain Malkovich was taking that cautious step back, he'd realized his mistake as well. Samus Aran was not a lady you wanted to get angry, even if she was only seventeen. As much as she did not like being put in her father's shadow, she was every bit the daughter of a war hero; stubborn, unmovable, and vicious when set off.

"Ian would have wanted you to-"

Giving a very audible wince as he backed away another couple steps, Higgs readied to watch the fireworks. Even without having been along on several training missions with her, he knew that trying to tell Samus she was wrong, and what was the right action, especially when she was already in a bad place, was asking for a brutal beating, regardless of if she were in the wrong. Malkovich would probably be lucky to walk away with just a verbal lashing; Samus was known for much worse, and had been disciplined for worse.

"First off, you selfish shit, my father would not stand and listen to a man justify how he left his little brother to die without a god damn second thought!" She was already turning red with anger, and if Adam knew what was good for him, he'd back down. "And second, don't you dare tell me what _Ian_ would want! You have the gall to dangle my father over my head, tell me what your brother would have wanted me to do, but neither one of them would have ever left five men and women to just die in that engine drive without even trying to warn them, when I could have gotten them out!"

"You don't know that you-"

With a vicious glare in her eyes, Samus hefted her backpack and just continued walking. She was done. Done with the military, done with the heartache, and done with this man trying to justify his mistakes, tell her that she was wrong to be angry. He tried to get in her way, grabbed her by the arm to stop her. Samus turned her head, gave him the look that said she could kill him if she wanted, and then proceeded to snap her own hand up and put a death grip on his wrist. Not even twisting, but squeezing. It was more than enough.

"I could snap a steel rod in half if I wanted," came her cold, angry words. The young woman let go when it was obvious she was nearing the point of breaking bone. "You know what I am. Cracking your arm wouldn't even make me blink, Adam. So do yourself a favor, give your dead brother some respect, and leave me alone so at least _I_ can mourn him."

Silence as he stepped back. It took a few moments, but Malkovich eventually began to massage his bruising wrist while watching Samus resume her pace and walk past him. A moment later, Anthony hurried to catch up, pausing to give a look of sympathy and understanding. He had a minute, noting that Adam didn't even attempt to follow this time. Probably the smartest thing the captain could do now.

"She's just really hurting, sir." Higgs said as he kept an eye on his departing friend. "I don't know what she's been through before she came here, but…she just needs time."

All Adam could do was nod. He understood more than Higgs realized what Samus was suffering. "I have to see the review board in three days. Make sure she gets home safely, Corporal. She needs at least one human she trusts."


	3. Tribunal

**2975.358**

 **Confederation Armed Forces Regional Command**  
 **Cheyenne, Wyoming**

He was sweating. Not because he was afraid for himself. But because so much had been left unresolved before this review. The events outside Mountain Point Academy had left him questioning himself, questioning his own decisions, and as a result, he still had not contacted his own family to tell them what had happened. By now, they had received the old style formal letter of condolence, still a tradition on Terra after thousands of years of military culture.

And right now, Adam Malkovich felt as if it would be wise to send his wife one as well.

"Captain Malkovich, please relate for this panel the events that lead to the destruction of the civilian transport _Lusitania's_ drive engine, and the deaths of two tech staff and three academy cadets."

His mind returned to the present. He stood before a panel of five officers; a general, two admirals, a fleet warrant officer, and the Commandant of Mountain Point. "We had been on a standard training mission in the Rekol system when we picked up a distress beacon from the _Lusitania_." Adam looked over the panel as he relayed his recollection of the incident. "After confirming new mission parameters, we proceeded on course to intercept the _Lusitania_ and begin rescue and repair operations, standard procedure for any ship able to render assistance."

"I will confirm that permission was given for Captain Malkovich to proceed," the Commandant added as she gave a knowing nod to the young Captain. "Enough standard operations such as this had been practiced by the class he was instructing, and I saw no danger."

The head of the panel, Admiral Castor Dane, nodded slowly. "So noted. The data log from the _Vixiv_ flight records shows that the drive section was suffering from a breach in the main thermal oscillation unit. Your orders, as shown, were for three Cadets to accompany two of the _Vixiv's_ own engineering crew into the drive section and assist in repair efforts. One of these cadets was your own younger brother, Cadet First Lieutenant Ian Malkovich."

"All of that is correct, sir."

Dane sighed as he continued to read over the flight logs. "After successful entry to the thermal oscillation unit, your engineering crew and the cadets began efforts to disengage the main engines, thus reducing thermal build up, but the main engines instead began to overheat."

A simple nod. There was nothing else to really say when the facts were present. "That is correct, sir. We were unsure as to why the drive unit began to overheat, but our engineers attempted to shut the engines down manually."

"At which time, Warrant Officer Devereaux reported that there was a breakdown of discipline from one of the cadets under your command." General Matheson was the one spoke now, reading from a data padd. "Cadet Lieutenant Junior grade Samus Aran."

"Aran? As in John Aran?" The other Admiral spoke up now, having been content to listen. "Pardon the tangent, Admiral Dane. I thought John Aran and his family were reported as killed in the Pirate attack on K-2L. Is this Cadet Aran-"

"Formerly Cadet Lieutenant." Dane gave a sigh as he noted the look on Malkovich's face. A small shake of his head. "Miss Aran had survived the attack and was found by a trade ship that responded to the colony SOS. One of the crew took her in until they were able to match her records and brought her to Terra a few years ago. Out of respect for her father, I sponsored her admission to the Mountain Point Academy." After allowing a moment, Admiral Dane gestured for General Matheson to continue.

"Captain Malkovich, for the record, what happened with Cadet Aran?"

He hesitated. Unsure what he should say. But he had to say something. "Cadet Aran requested permission to enter the drive section in order to attempt a rescue. I was, truthfully, tempted to grant it, but I realized that there may not have been time to allow her the chance."

Devereaux made a motion, calling attention to herself. "Admiral, I must add an observation of mine that I left out of my own report." She waited for the nod from Dane before continuing. "Captain Malkovich, I noticed that during this, you seem to have, for lack of a better word, locked up. Almost with fear. If I am incorrect in this assessment, then please, correct me."

"Your assessment would be correct, ma'am." Adam lowered his head slightly with his admission. He knew that this would be the nail in the coffin of this review for him. "Cadet Malkovich is-" The Captain paused, correcting himself. It still hurt. "Sorry...was my little brother. To say I wasn't affected by the position of seeing him in danger would be lying."

"And I presume, based on what I observed, that Cadet Aran was similarly affected by such worries." Warrant Officer Devereaux paused a moment, glancing over to Admiral Dane. "When Captain Malkovich didn't respond to Cadet Aran's request, she seemed to get very agitated, particularly over Cadet Malkovich's safety."

"That's when I gave the order to lock off the drive section and detach the _Lusitania_ so that we could we could protect the passengers and crew." His eyes shifted between the members of the review panel. His career was probably over, but he was at least going to go out an honest man. "When she continued to request permission, I had to make it clear I was not going to give it. That's when she moved to defy orders and attempt a rescue anyway, so I ordered her to be restrained, for her own safety."

"And yet it took four grown men twice her size to restrain and hold her to the deck when she fought back."

His heart skipped a beat. That detail, he'd hoped to leave out, but Devereaux had remembered it. General Matherson was arching a brow, while Admiral Rolf was looking at Dane in confusion. They'd all seen what Samus looked like; a five foot nine blonde girl who weighed no more than a hundred and twenty-five pounds. Solidly built, but for it to take four grown men who clearly had more mass and muscle behind them to _pin_ her down...

"Adrenaline can induce surprising acts, ma'am. And the truth is, Cadet Aran wasn't exactly on platonic terms with my brother, so I understand why she was so adamant to attempt a rescue." He took a breath. He didn't need to worry about repercussions to Samus at this point; she was long gone from Sol-3 by now. But Adam was concerned about one of them asking too many questions that he could not answer.

"Officer Devereaux, we aren't here to address Miss Aran, especially since she has been discharged from the academy." Dane was saving him the trouble of trying to shift the subject back onto the review itself. "Captain, I feel in regards to your own actions, we have enough information. General Matheson and Admiral Rolf will confer with me, and we will inform you soon of our decision. Until then, you are to report for medical evaluation and are placed on psychiatric leave until further notice."

* * *

 **2976.091 – Three months later**

Footsteps echoed down the otherwise empty corridor of the command level at Army Headquarters. The source of them, clad in his full dress uniform and hand tucked under his left arm, was Adam Malkovich. The heels of his shoes clicked against the polished floors, and save for one or two occasional aides and office staff passing by, he was alone on his course.

As he made his way to the main offices at the end of the hallway, Captain Malkovich pondered why he had been called up to see the higher ups. It had been three months since the review by an Army committee of the events that led to the deaths of two enlisted engineers and three academy cadets, a panel that had ended with him placed on psychiatric leave, but cleared of any possible fault. It still didn't make him feel any better about the decision he'd made, and the loss of those five. Cleared or not, he still, even after leave and approval to return to duty, felt like it was his fault.

He had arrived. Pressing his uniform jacket down, Adam tapped on the call switch to Admiral Dane's office, now awaiting an answer. He was nervous about this; why had they called him up? Was he being reassigned? But then why the admiralty being involved? Admiral Dane rarely was involved in lower level administration. Had they reviewed the accident and decided they had ruled too softly the first time?

The door slid open, allowing Adam entry. With a small gulp, the young captain stepped in and took a seat as the android secretary indicated. He was early, he realized as he checked the time.

"Captain Malkovich," the android stated as it looked up from its station. Adam almost jumped at the monotone sound of its voice. "Admirals Dane, Torwyn, and Richards will see you now."

The heads of the fifth fleet and special operations were here as well? What did he do this time? Adam breathed in, more nervous than ever, as he picked up his cap and nodded while heading in as instructed. Why would three of the heads of the fleets and operations be wanting him there? Maybe they really had changed their minds about letting him off the hook for the accident.

A pause at the door, just before it opened. The three admirals were talking still, Dane seated while Torwyn and Richards were both standing. It took a moment before Admiral Dane glanced over and noticed the young captain. "Ah, speaking of...come in and sit, Captain. We have a lot to talk about."

Malkovich nodded as he took a seat across from the three, setting his cap in his lap. "I have to admit, sirs, I'm a bit in the dark why I was called here today." A pause. He looked at the three nervously. "Was there a re-evaluation of the accident on the _Lusitania_?"

Dane was the one who answered that question. "The review on that remains the same, Captain. You made a hard call, but it saved four hundred people, including your own crew and cadets, instead of costing that many." It was then that Dane sighed and leaned back in his own seat before glancing to the other two admirals. "This is regarding other matters. Kromun Pirate activity has been increasing, and we're assigning a specialized task force to handle the matter."

Shifting in his seat, Adam nodded to show his understanding of that, yet he wasn't sure why he was there. Clearly they had been making plans for this task force, but why had he been called to them? Unless... "I'm assuming I'm to be assigned as troop support for this task force."

"Not quite." Torwyn now, an older woman with white hair and a definite old English infliction. She was pursing her lips, looking Malkovich over before leaning forward with a hand on Dane's desk. "You, Captain, would be commanding the lead vessel and her crew, Admiral Dane even recommended you as his best option."

He nearly paled with shock. Not a revisiting of the _Lusitania_ accident, but they were assigning him command of...a ship? "Sirs, ma'am...I'm not-"

"We also intend to transfer your branch status and promote you to the rank of Commander, as is better befitting such a new position."

He wasn't sure how he was still sitting. The shock of being told he was to join as an officer of command in this new task force was enough to make his head spin. But a divisions transfer and a two rank grade promotion on top of that, after he had just been cleared for duty again following what had happened with the _Lusitania_. It also hung over him that someone would not approve of this. "I'm...not sure how-"

"We'll be making everything official at the announcement to the media in two weeks," Dane stated as he stood up. "Until then, you are on leave while we get your transfers finished up and assign crews." The old admiral gave a grin as he watched Adam jump to his feet, then held his hand out to the young Army Captain. "Congratulations, _Commander_ Malkovich."

He was still speechless even as he accepted the proffered gesture, his mind trying to process everything and catch up. Adam had not expected any of this when he'd been called to this meeting; he'd expected a total dress down of what had gone wrong oh the _Lusitania_ , demotion, reassignment to a backwater...but not the lead ship of a task force under his command.

"By the way," Admiral Dane continued, now pulling Adam aside while the other admirals departed. "I know this is probably a sore subject, but have you heard from Samus since everything?"

Dane was right; that was still a sore spot, as it brought back everything, including things that had been unsaid because of the accident. "No one has seen her in months," Adam reluctantly admitted. He tucked his officer's cap under his arm even as he sighed. "She and I didn't exactly part on the best of terms, and I can't honestly blame her." Another pause as he lowered his gaze to the ground. "My parents weren't exactly very happy that she took everything so hard, after what was going on with Ian."

"Aye, he told me before you all went on that training mission." Dane gave a resound sigh of his own, then patted Adam on the shoulder before leading him to the office door. "Give her time, Adam. When she's healed the worst of these wounds, she'll come back. Just be there to support her."


	4. Homecoming

**Planet Zebes  
** **Chozodia Plateau**

The acid rains of the planet had ceased, allowing the native fauna to resume life on the planet's surface. Most lifeforms inhabited the cave networks of the planet since the surface was often wracked by storms, but some still made their effort to populate the topside. It was a harsh life, regardless, and all that lived on the planet had adapted and evolved to their challenge. Yet, the planet still thrived despite these obstacles.

In one of the desolate areas, a brightly colored form came to a crashing landing, left hand solidly placed against the ground as support while a forest-green cannon was mounted on the right arm at the elbow. Red plates covered the chest and head with a distinctive bird-like helmet and an emerald green visor. The armored form rose up to their feet, then raced off down a crude natural path, now making their way back to what was considered civilization. A vaulted hop over one of many rock outcroppings, a roll forward to make sure all momentum was redirected and their speed not lost, and they were racing away again.

From behind a shattered rock formation rose a series of drones, each one now chasing after the yellow and red armored figure. Pink bursts of laser energy fired from optic lenses, and each one was avoided as the figure in yellow armor dipped, bobbed, and weaved about the canyon floor. The sleek viridian firearm was quickly aimed when the figure took a moment to pause, flaring as bright yellow pulses exploded from the muzzle port and tore through the air. Two drones shattered into scrap and ruined parts, another pair following even as the personage in armor began sprinting across the canyon floor. The drones took chase, firing their pink colored charges of energy in attempt to even scratch the armored form, and each one failed.

Another carefully calculated pair of saffron pulses, two more drones destroyed while the armored figure hurried further into the canyon, now using the branches and outcrops as cover from the remaining dozen drones. Two of the drones raced ahead, trying to lock target, but both slammed into a stone pillar when the armored figure used their targeting focus against them.

It was upon bursting out of the canyon path that the figure turned, aiming the emerald arm cannon just as a few of them started to attempt an attack formation. Clever machines. The saffron bursts tore out from the muzzle port, smashing through the drones again, with more shots following. Pink bursts discharged at the figure, but each shot was countered by a matching beam of yellow, causing a series of explosions with the impacts.

And then, the drones withdrew, leaving the armored figure to relax their posture, powering down the massive arm cannon while they waited. When they saw the speeder lift approach from the distance, the free left hand came up and pried off their helmet, revealing the tied back blonde hair, baby face and bright blue-touched green eyes of Samus Aran as the lift came to a stable halt. She tucked her helmet under her free arm, now letting the breeze washed over her face instead of the contained atmosphere of her armor suit.

The three occupants looked down at her. Chozo, the ancient and advanced race of bird people to whom the Galaxy owed much, including the existence of the Galactic Federation. There were so few of them left in the universe, the remaining legacy of beings that held knowledge beyond even the Federation's comprehension. Even the modern Chozo themselves at times could not understand or compare to their precursor ancestors.

The shortest of them had a series of colored patterns in his feathers. He stepped down from the lift as Samus walked over to join the Chozo, his expression beaming with pride toward her. "Very well done, _Varia_. You have definitely come far since you left us before."

The taller of the Chozo chuffed disapprovingly as he stepped down to join them. "Maru, you must stop coddling the human. She is no longer a child by their standards." His taloned hand gestured toward the young woman, who stood there with sweat in her hair, but looking at him with an expression of annoyance. "She was old enough to join their warriors when she abandoned her purpose and left us before, she should not be coming back to the Nest and expect to be treated as a fledgling again."

"I'm standing right here, Gray Voice!"

The taller Chozo turned his head toward the young human. His avian eyes narrowed at her, expressing disappointment at what he saw to be disrespect. "I would not speak out of turn, child. You still-"

"It was rude of you, first, to speak so lowly of her," Maru expressed in effort to end the fight before it could start. He moved to get between his elder and the girl who was ready to lock her cannon on at Gray Voice for all but mocking her. His eyes held in them a youthful glimmer, one that the other two Chozo with him had seemed to have lost. "And second, her physical maturity matters not when a hatchling comes home to the nest to heal." His head cocked, turning back enough so that Samus could see that his gaze was on her, and the start of a smile on the line of his soft beak.

A chuff, the harder ends of Gray Voice's beak clicking in disapproval. The displays of affection that the younger Chozo continuously lavished upon their human ward were not what he saw as proper behavior, especially after this long. "She doesn't belong with us," was all the elder Chozo uttered as he walked back onto the speeder lift. He brushed past the third of their number, his eyes narrow in disapproval of this entire situation.

The Chozo named Maru, however, only turned to face Samus fully now, his chuffing that similar to a human's chuckle. "He is still a rough one, but he means well, my little Hatchling. You did well today."

"He has been talking like this since you brought me here, father." Samus was blunt, without any nicety, or illusion of civility. Her eyes narrowed at the elder Chozo's back, the scar that trailed over her left eye flushing slightly from the increased blood flow. "He's never liked me, let alone the fact you brought me to live with the Brood."

"Samus," the Chozo chided her, his head tilting slightly to show his disapproval of her attitude. He walked over to the armored young woman, lifting a feathered hand up to grasp her by the shoulder of her armor. "Walk with me, Hatchling. We need to talk."

Her expression was one of worry even as her armor crackled with electrical discharge and vanished in a burst of light. She dropped a few inches to the ground, her feet revealed to having been resting on lifted supports inside the boots of the suit, but the sensation was one she was more than used to. Now standing at her normal height, she was looking up slightly at Maru's face rather than looking at even eyeline, standing there clad instead in a form-fit half-sleeved blue undersuit which was adorned by segmented plates of armor and glowing markings on her left breastplate and her shoulders. Fingerless gloves were on her hands, while her arms from the lower biceps down were bare.

"I'm in trouble again," she muttered, lifting her helmet just before it too was engulfed in the dismissing crackling of electricity. She was all to used to hearing disappointments from Gray Voice, or the other Elders. "Did I not do the exercise fast enough, or did I leave too many-"

"Samus, this is not about your performance," came the words of the Chozo. He now began to walk, using the long stick in his hand as a support with his steps. Expectedly, she was walking alongside him, though holding noticeably back out of respect. "You have trained these years, and gained much skill even in your time away from us." A pause while Maru cocked his head and gestured for her not to lag behind him; she was to act as if his equal, not an inferior. "Despite his corse words and harsh exterior, Gray Voice does care. And as an elder of the Brood-"

"He is to be respected and treated with the honors afford one who has lived so long." She knew this speech by heart, because she sadly had heard it too many times. And as she was rolling her eyes, Samus chose to do as directed and speed up to walk alongside the Chozo. "I get it, father. Gray Voice was already in his adulthood and had fathered eggs by the time you were born. But you're the last of the Chozo to hatch." Emphasis was given with her hands as she gestured toward him even as she shifted to walking posture to accommodate. "Sometimes, the eldest don't always mean the wisest."

A deep rumble in his chest as Maru let out a loud laugh. Truly, the young human he had decided to call "daughter" had a way for telling the truth, but in ways that it was clear she was throwing an insult out. "Oh, Samus. This is true. But Gray Voice also has the best intentions. One day, you may depend on him and his wisdom, and I advise that you not ignore it when that day comes, my young and beautiful child."

Even as she walked along with the younger of the Chozo, Samus sighed, now letting her more human expressions out to have sway. "He always goes on about how a champion to the galaxy needs to be focused, and not distracted with, the kind of issues that I've got in my life."

"Gray Voice is very traditional and is one that believes we Chozo should not indulge our more extreme emotions." Maru sighed as he knocked a larger rock out of the way with his walking stick, clicking the hard ends of his beak. "It is a regret our Brood has with our past, before our kind turned to benevolence and pacifism."

"And why most don't like me."

His talons dug into the ground as he came to a halt. His large amber eyes blinked in shock as he turned his head to look back at Samus with concern. The notion she had presented disturbed him, deeply. "Little bird, who has said such things?"

"Gray Voice isn't the only one who hasn't approved of me being part of the Brood." Her eyes said enough to tell Maru that it was no exaggeration. "Most of the Brood talks worse things than his lectures behind my back, thinking I can't hear them."

Once more, Maru sighed. He held out his free arm, gesturing for Samus to come close. "My child, they have forgotten what it is like to care for young," the tiercel assured her as he took her into a fatherly embrace. His wide feathers and his robe helped blanket the young woman as she wrapped her arms around him, now letting her own human emotions show; sadness, the pain of rejection. "I was the last of our kind to be hatched, after we began to realize our kind had extended our lives too far, and our race was slowly dying out."

"But why do so many hate me?" she asked. It was a question that had been presented many times before, and like all the times she had asked it before, Samus knew she would never have an answer. "Some call me an ugly freak, when they think I can't hear them."

The Chozo felt his heart ache as these stories were only now being related to him. "Despite our endeavors to help other races," Maru intoned, stroking her hair in effort to calm the girl. "Some of our kind...more than I care to admit...have clung to the concepts that we are better, which led to the collapse of our warrior past. But you are not ugly, my sweet daughter. Nor are you a freak."

A gentle nip of her cheek, the Chozo equivalent of a kiss, and Maru held her tightly. She needed all the confidence she could get, not reminders that she was not considered a true Chozo by so many. "You know well I too am considered odd for our kind," the Chozo reminded her as she tried not to cry. "I still value childhood dreams, the wonder of imagination that we used to have generations before I was born."

After a moment, Samus could only nod, knowing she could not find fault in the words of the parental Chozo. And despite his centuries of life, he was still taller than her. He was kind and supporting, like she knew her own father would have been. "I always ask," came the questioning tone as she spoke those words. "Why did you take me in after-" No, she was not going to subject herself to remembering that. Not now. "After what happened."

"It's still hard," Maru acknowledged. He had been through many a discussion such as they coming with higher frequency as of late since Samus had returned to Zebes. "Even all these years later, I understand the trouble you might have. Truthfully, Samus, I could not leave a lone child survivor on her own with no one to turn to, especially after what pirates had done." A soft chuff again as they resumed walking down the canyon floor. "Though some would call my decision to wing you foolish and misguided, I remember the days, as a hatchling myself, when not so long ago, our kind still felt compassion and acted on it."

A nudge of his feathered hand, and they began to walk again toward the edge of the canyon. "Samus, I do not regret taking you as my daughter. I gave you my blood and DNA to not only gift you what powers we could bestow you, but also to give you a living father in more than just name." The soft parts of his beak creased into a sad smile when he reflected on their past. "I know that as a man of the war, you don't wish to hear of him, but as a man of his nest, your birth-father was honorable, courageous, and everything we once held as our ideals. I hope that I have done him proud in my efforts to raise you. He was a good friend."

There was no surprise for Samus to hear Maru speak of her biological father so highly. Most of the Federation treated his name like that of a celebrity, and it had been an ever present source of frustration for her. "I remember him still, in flashes, bits of memory." She was hesitant with her admission. "He loved my mother and I...I remember that clearly." And the flash of fire, the explosion. A ship torn apart.

That horrific laugh.

"Samus? Are you alright?"

She blinked, realizing that her breathing had sped up, and she could feel her heart racing. "I'm...I just..."

"Your eyes were empty, child." Maru looked at her with his amber orbs in fatherly concern. Despite the difference in species and biological separation, he still was very much her father. "You were having memories of the colony again."

Silence. She didn't answer, but the look in her eyes was enough to admit the truth. He'd taught her so much value in honesty, as he had always been honest with her. "I'm sorry I'm so weak. I still see it, after this long. Gray Voice was right about me."

Maru's eyes narrowed at hearing those words, but he pulled the young woman into a comforting embrace. His beak rest on top of her head while both of his feathered arms wrapped around her. This was not the first time he'd had to settle his daughter's heart, comfort her as a father should their child. And it would not be the last.

"You are not weak, Hatchling. You face your demons every day, and you find strength every day to face them again and again. This is true power, and you must never forget it." He sighed, closing his eyes as he ran a feathered hand through her hair, letting the rhythm of his breathing soothe her. "My dear child...you are strong in ways even you do not yet know, but one day you will."

And yet, even in comforting the young human, Maru felt a tear run down his cheek feathers. But she was calm again, comforted, and for a moment, he was once more holding that precious little child in his arms again that he'd held almost fifteen years ago. That was enough for him to forget his own pain and his own worries. "Let us return to the Nest. I will prepare you a meal for your excellent work today, and you will train no more for today."


	5. Whispers

It was still daylight on Zebes when the pair of Chozo and human arrived at the entry passage that jutted from the mountain rock. Samus took the initiative to activate the door into the main entry lock, allowing them both to enter just before it sealed behind them. A quick scan ran over the pair, and then a beep that signaled they were clear to enter the underground city.

A small floating orb descended, revealing to the duo a clear optic lens that kept focusing on them as they headed further into the city. " _ **I trust the training exercise was considered passable at best.**_ "

"Your pessimism, as always, Mother Brain, is uncalled for." Maru clicked his beak at the floating drone. It saved Samus her dignity from lashing out at the machine. "I was quite pleased by my daughter's performance today, and that should be more than enough to satisfy your requirements."

The drone shifted in the air, its position appearing as if it was trying to stare down the Chozo. It did not faze him. " _ **The fact she came back after leaving the Nest indicates a severe flaw in her capabilities and her ability to perform. My psychological analysis still has not been concluded-**_ "

"And it will be dismissed." The Chozo gave the drone a glare, indicating more than enough that the matter was to be dropped there and now. He raised his walking stick, waved at the drone to leave them be as he led Samus down the main path into the Chozo city. But it didn't miss Maru that the girl had been bothered by the confrontation. "Mother Brain is a being of calculation and supposed logic, Little Bird. Pay her no mind."

She shifted uncomfortably regardless. It was no secret that the Mother Brain had never approved of Samus being brought into the Brood. The organically grown super-computer had stated repeatedly that the human child would not survive Zebes' harsh environment, even if she were restricted to the safe area of the Nest and the Chozodia region. The fact that Samus had not only survived, but thrived, had been a very obvious sore spot for the constructed intelligence.

"Mother has never liked me." Blunt, but it was the obvious truth. "No matter how you try to frame it, father, she's resentful of my existence."

The Chozo did not answer, but his lack of response signaled that he could not refute what the human girl had expressed. Yet neither could he imagine the Mother Brain being anything other than what she was designed to be. "Mother Brain is...particular, I admit. I had no input on her design, being before my time, but she's always been focused on the logic of any given situation. It unfortunately means she can be far too pragmatic on a situation than I'd like."

Now they were entering the main population center of the city. Or at least, what had been when there had been more inhabitants of the Nest still alive. The slow decline of the Chozo race had been impacting their kind in more ways than they sometimes wished to admit. Living so long had begun to wear on them, and eventually had resulted in wide spread infertility in their species. That was how Maru had explained it to Samus at least. There were still some females of their race that were alive, but like the males, they had gone sterile from such long lifespans. And to be fair, they never had seemed too keen on being around the human child that had been brought into the Brood. Samus always seemed to feel like in a way, she was a reminder of what their race had lost.

"I want you to know," Maru began as they made their way to the residential quarter of the caverns. "You are welcome home with me as long as you need. I understand you've been in much pain these last few months, especially since your journey to come home took longer than I'd wished."

Samus didn't answer, not verbally at least. She gave a small nod as they walked toward a particular dome house within the cavern, larger and marked with patterns of color that matched the patterns of Maru's facial feathers. The main door was keyed open to allow them entry, and as they went into Maru's abode, the maintenance chamber at the end of the room caught Samus' eye.

"So we're keeping the armor here now, instead of at the hall of elders?" She asked as she walked over to the chamber and placed a hand against the clear plexisteel window. As she had observed, her power suit previously worn in the canyon was stored within, darkened even as it was hooked to various stations. "I thought Silver Winds wanted all weapons kept under Mother's watch."

"Being the last born of the Brood and your father has come with some unique privileges," the Chozo replied as he gave the girl a mischievous smirk. He was stepping out of what functioned as a kitchen with a cup of steaming root tea for her. "And it allows me to prevent some of the less compassionate of the Elders from doing things to you to better make their vaulted champion."

A sip of the root tea was already helping calm her nerves. Maru always knew how to help her settle her anxiety in the absence of the medicines she had used in the Academy to manage things. "I still remember how you blew up at Shaded Whisper over her suggestion when I was ten." She looked at her tea for a moment, contemplating her thoughts, before continuing. "You know, she might have been right. I would be more efficient if they were taken out."

Those colored patterns fluffed in anger. "Shaded Whisper is a Crow." The growl in his voice was filled with protective rage. "A war-minded fool who sees a tool in any lifeform not Chozo. She would see you stripped of your free will if it allowed her to create her ultimate weapon, let alone-"

" _ **The Elders wish to see you, Maru.**_ "

The monotone voice of the Mother Brain interrupted what was probably a very angry rant from the Chozo. He took a breath upon realizing how upset he had become, then nodded to the floating drone that had made its way into his home. "Inform them that Samus and I will arrive to the Dome as soon as possible."

" _ **Not your ward,**_ " came the mechanical replied. The drone turned its optic to the blue clad human, and then returned its attentions to the Chozo. " _ **It concerns Project M on Naraka. They also wish to discuss other matters that have been designated above her need to know.**_ "

Those amber orbs narrowed, and a frustrated growl came from deep in his feathered chest. Ever since Samus had managed to get back to Zebes barely a month ago after having been forced to take work on various ships just to get back, the Elders had treated her even less like a person and more like an object of war. The fact she was referring to a very inconsiderate "suggestion" by a war-minded individual as a possible consideration was proof of the effect it had on her fragile sense of self. And he was not having it.

"My _daughter_ ," came the snarled response. Maru took his walking stick from where it rested again the storage chamber of the battle armor, then raised it and thrust the carved head threateningly at the spherical drone. "And if it's involving me, then she has a right to know."

The drone tilted to look down on him. Maru knew that particular mannerism; contempt. The Elders had rubbed off on the Mother Brain more than they'd thought. " _ **Your human pet is not welcome at this discussion, Maru. I advise that you cease behaving like a child, and submit to their authority."**_

" _Get out of my nest._ "

That pure fury from Maru was enough to make Samus stare in shock. Even as the drone floated away, she could hardly believe how angry her adopted father had gotten, or the pure resolve of his defense of her and his view of their relationship. "Maru..."

"I thought you liked to call me father."

She blinked. After a moment, she saw him relax, his feathers fluffing back down as he was dropping his haunches. That figure of righteous fury was gone, replaced by the kind and loving bird she knew. "I've never seen you get like that…not in years."

With his walking stick tapping against the stone floor, Maru recomposed himself and gave Samus that familiar warm smile on his beak. "When I say you're my daughter, Little Bird, I mean it." Shoulders shifted as he began making his way to the entry of the dome house. A tap to the containment chamber that held her armor as he passed. "Wear this," he said, not even breaking his stride. "We'll make them see you as a Chozo, not their personal project."

There was a small self-satisfied smile on her lips at those words, and Samus nodded in agreement. Just before following as instructed, she reached to the back of her head, pulling a couple of small fluffy feathers from the nape of her neck that had been itching. "Hope I'm due to molt some of these soon," she muttered as she flicked the downy feathers away and placing her hand over the emblem on the breast of her under armor.

The moment her fingers touched the emblem, her body began to crackle with the same strands of electrical discharge that had cast her armor off in the canyon. The suit was displaying the same reaction from inside the containment chamber, and as Samus rose off the ground, feet angling to rest on support lifts, the armor vanished from its storage and formed around her in a burst of light. The emerald visor flared to life with its internal glow once the residual energy of the transformation has dissipated, and now, standing at over six feet tall in her armor, Samus followed after Maru, feeling much surer of herself.

"I've been meaning to ask," the young woman began as they traveled down the main road in the Nest toward the silver-black structure at the center of the Chozo city that was known only as the Dome. "I know the suit is only for training and what ceremonies they let me be part of. But if they seriously expect me to be the great soldier that Gray Voice said I'm supposed to be, then I would hope they plan to give me something soon enough."

She heard that familiar chuffing, Maru's particular laugh. Something she said had amused him. "My dear little Hatchling." He cocked his head so that she could see his amber eyes; they had that trickster gleam in them that he always displayed when he was going to do something the Elders didn't like. "As much as she dislikes you, the Mother Brain constructed the powered armor for more than just training and ceremony. It was based on my designs so that you could stand as one of the Brood, not treated as some outsider."

They were nearing the Dome as their discussion continued. "How much of a stink do you think the Elders will throw at me being there?"

Now it was an amused raised brow he gave as he turned his gaze back again at the armor young woman. "Throw a stink?"

"Oh, it's a human expression. It means-"

"I'm familiar with the phrase and its meaning." He gave that laughing chuff as they reached the main entry of the Dome. "But I'm surprised at you embracing the human culture that way. Normally you would not make such a phrase."

Crossing the threshold, the pair of Chozo and human made their way into the Dome, following the ancient halls to the massive and grand chamber where the Elders were waiting for Maru.

But clearly not her.

"Did the Mother Brain not inform you that this summons was for you alone?"

Maru tried to hide the grin on his face, but as he turned his head toward Samus, she didn't need the visual enhancers in her helmet's visor to see how much he enjoyed defying the old feather bags. "I would offer apologies, but it would be dishonest of me." The Chozo cocked one brow while now looking at the gathered council. "I was informed that there was a report from Naraka. As it relates to the future _you_ all see fit to press on _my_ human daughter, I felt that Samus should receive the same information now, instead of later when I told her anyway."

One of the elder Chozo glared, ready to say something no doubt intended to lecture the youngest living of their kind, but a hand from Gray Voice stopped her. "Bickering will not help," he explained before nodding to Maru. "And truthfully, Maru...I would prefer her present. It was Shaded Whisper who insisted your ward be excluded from this council."

The grin on his face suddenly turned into a scowl at the mention of that name. The discussion about said Chozo from earlier had already left a bad taste in Maru's mouth. But for her to be here and having demanded Samus not be present? That was enough to set Maru's feathers in full angry display. "Did she now?" It took all his self control not to snarl those words.

"You should know better that to bring your pet to a council of the Elders."

And that insured a snarl as Maru turned his head sharply, clicking that hard tips of his beak together in frustration. The floating lift came down to allow him view of the source of that ironically silky feminine voice. Black feathers with streaks of red in the pattern, narrow eyes, a crest of red tipped feathers upon her head that looked to have been dipped in blood, and a thin stature that always made Samus think of a Terran crow. Apt, considering that the word was shared in the Chozo language...but the meaning was less pleasant.

"I'm honestly surprised that it is allowed to wear the weapons of war while in the presence of our people." The snide grin on the black feathered Chozo's long and thin beak was not even attempting to be subtle. "Really, Maru. You should teach your pet better manners, and give it a better example of obedience."

That walking stick tapped with a resounding _crack_ as Maru gave a look of pure distain to the Chozo who had dared to insult his adopted child. "My _daughter_." The words came out unabashedly laced with venom, and it was without a doubt intended so. Even Samus was looking at her father in surprise; no one had ever seen him angry like this. "I gave her my blood, my essence, without any hesitation, and I have claimed her as my hatchling in the eyes of our race and all the forces beyond our knowledge." Those amber orbs looked around; none contested him. Good. "And you _will_ afford her the respect she deserves as a member of the Brood, a hatchling of this Nest, and as the heir to my lineage as I so proclaimed fifteen years ago!"

"Are you still carrying on this childish delusion that a human girl could ever be one of us?" Shaded Whisper gave a sadistic grin while she maneuvered her lift closer to the ground, yet not landing. It allowed her to look on Maru, to make him feel as if he were just a child, no more adult that the human he claimed as his child. "She will never been a child of the Chozo, little fledgling, no more than you will ever be anything but the last of our children."

"Shaded Whisper, this bickering is in opposition with the reason you came here." Gray Voice finally spoke up to end the argument. He glanced to Maru, his eyes saying that further retort in defense of the human was best saved for another time. "You returned to Zebes after seven years with word from Naraka regarding Project M, and the status of our efforts to reign in the X."

The female Chozo clicked her tongue in response to Gray Voice' interference. A red tipped finger was pointed now as Samus, even as the young woman had still not removed her armor at all. "Have Maru remove his pet human from our presence, and I will detail my report on the development of our weapon."

"Samus stays!"

The words echoed throughout the council chamber. All present turned to stare in shock as Maru lifted his walking stick and pointed the carved head at Shaded Whisper. "She is one of this Nest," came the furious words of a father's wrath incurred. "She carries _my_ blood, her human birth-parents were brave warriors who fought against the Kromus, and I will _not_ tolerate these insults to myself or the humans that birthed her! Refer to her as a child of our people, as she deserves!"

The black feathered Chozo opened her mouth to retort. Maru would not afford her that chance. "And as the one this council voted to place the burden of our legacy upon, Samus should be present to hear what has become of our project to stop a potential threat to the universe." He turned his amber gaze to Shaded Whisper, hardening his eyes against her own crimson orbs. "Unless you feel that the decision of this great council was in error, Whisper."

She only stares at him in silence. The black feathered Chozo looked to Gray Voice for support. She found none.

"Maru is right, Shaded Whisper." His composure was unflappable. "His ward was made the carrier of our duties and burdens by vote of this council. As such, I do wish her to be informed our endeavors on Naraka."

The female Chozo glared at Gray Voice, but nodded. "I shall allow the Mother Brain to deliver my report, then." Shaded Whisper said nothing more as she withdrew from the main floor of the council chamber. It was obvious that she was not pleased with being refused her demands. Yet, the fact she had given in so much easier than she could have, suggested, to Samus at least, that she had expected the possibility.

And then the spherical drone flew down, aiming its optic sensor downward to project a holographic image. Displayed was a strange creature, dome shaped with a flat bottom and four fang-mandibles jutting out from the muscle tissue below. The upper dome area was translucent, a faint green tinge, and visible within were red nuclei connected to the dome membrane via dozens of red veins.

" _ **Progress report from Naraka regarding Project M. Metroid gestation has exceeded expectations. Early release has resulted in projected population control as predicted. As yet, no abnormal side effects from exposure to Aeion energy that is unique to Naraka ecosystem can be reported.**_ "

Her blue-touched green eyes narrowed as she listened to the Mother Brain go over this apparent progress report. "Father," she carefully whispered as she leaned over to Maru's side. "Isn't Metroid an old word for warrior?"

"Yes, 'perfect warrior'." Those amber eyes followed suit with his daughter and narrowed. He did not like this one bit. "They were supposed to be an energy production project with purely peaceful applications." The feathers of his brow furled as he considered the possible ramifications of what they were learning. "This doesn't sound like the proposed project I was informed of at all."

" _ **As well as the properties of immunity to infection by the targeted life form, the Metroids have also displayed a predilection for consuming the life energy of other native life forms. Optimized application of this trait suggests possible use as further weaponization to Project M proceeds as recommended to combat threat presented by the X-Parasite.**_ "

Now father and daughter were both staring in shock at the floating drone. Weaponization? "The Metroid is a bioweapon?!" Samus exclaimed, only to receive a glare from several of the Elders, and particularly from Shaded Whisper. "But that's in violation not the non-aggression creed!"

"And yet you stand before us." Those taunting words were unchallenged as Shaded Whisper brought her lift about to descend toward Samus and Maru. Her thin beak was twisted into a malicious grin, and even as Maru tried to move between then, the black feathered female chuffed and closed the distance. "What do you think you are, _pet_? Do you really think any of us are fooled by Maru's childish delusion that he could claim you are his hatchling, and you would be one of us?" She saw, despite the emerald visor, the rage that began to form in the young human's eyes. It only made her laugh. "You can pretend all you want, little human, but no amount of genetic augmenting, learning our ways, special armor...or even growing feathers where you _apes_ should have hair, will ever make you a Chozo."

Even as Maru moved to separate them, there was already a heavy _click_ , and the blast port of the arm cannon was inches from Shaded Whisper's face, with the outer shell snapped open and a ballistic projectile loaded into the muzzle. Several of the Elders wisely moved away. "Say that again, you self-righteous piece of shi-"

"Samus! Stand down!"

Her cannon kept its aim, but Samus still turned her heard toward the source of that command; Gray Voice. She could feel Maru's hand rest on her shoulder guard. She knew what that meant. But not this time. "I get enough crap from the rest of you for who I am," the girl spat. She was beyond insulted now. "I'm not going to take this from a god damn warmongering Crow!"

Black feathers flared up, crimson orbs going wide with shock and anger. The female Chozo snarled as she leaned in, only for that cannon to remain between her and the human girl who carried Maru's blood. Her eyes snapped to glare at the young Chozo who claimed Samus, her beak twisting into a sneer. "Get your animal under control, Maru, or I will have her thrown to the mi'aki down in Brinstar. I'm sure their alpha would love the snack."

"Refer to Samus as a beast again, and you will be barred from ever returning to the Nest."

When Shaded Whisper heard that voice, her eyes dulled in shock. That wasn't Maru; it was someone who commanded authority on the Council. Someone with more than enough authority to make the threat a reality; Gray Voice. "You, of all the Brood, would stand behind this freak of nature that Maru has created?!"

"I would stand behind his decision to call Samus his own." The tall silver feathered elder set down his lift and stepped to the ground, his talons clicking on stone. "My own disagreements with her aside, it is Maru's right to consider her as his own hatchling, and for her to be treated as such."

A chuff, her beak clicking the tips as the soft parts shifted into a frown. Despite her feathers flattening down, it was clear that Shaded Whisper was not calming, nor any less angered by the fact she'd been rebuffed by Gray Voice, the Chozo she had counted on being an ally should this very argument break out. "I will return to Naraka and continue work on Project M. As this council placed on our scientists and overseers, we will bring the Metroids to full fruition."

Her lift took her away, but not before she gave a deathly glare to the armored human hybrid that stood next to a young, brazen upstart of the Nest. Even that walking stick wasn't a sign of age, but of injuries suffered. Shaded Whisper would return to her responsibilities, but this dispute wasn't over.

And Maru and Samus already knew it. The older of the two turned to his armored daughter, patting her on the back with fatherly pride. "It could have been handled better, but to be fair...I would not have been able to resist shoving a missile payload into her beak either."

"Maru."

Gray Voice, again. The pair turned as they watched the council disperse and the Elder walked toward them. Maru gave a bow of his head in respect, and then gestured for Samus to do the same. It was, sometimes, a fight between her pride and her duty. "It could have gone better, but to be fair-"

"We will speak later of this," the elder Chozo stated as he looked between both Chozo and human. "Return to your nest for now, but be aware that you may have moved someone already not fond of you into the category of enemy." Those dark hazel orbs of Gray Voice's looked now from Maru to Samus, examining her closely. "I still believe that you are not ready, child. But you have valor and conviction. I will credit you that after today. Just be careful who you express that to from now on."


	6. Remembrance

It was starting into the night cycle on the Chozodia Plateau. The powered armor was back inside its containment chamber, the main console indicating that it was slowly charging and performing standard maintenance. Within the kitchen of Maru's nest, the Chozo was working on preparing dinner for himself and Samus. "I felt something special tonight," he remarked as he checked on the heating unit. Despite their predatory raptor ancestors and evolution, even the Chozo had long ago come to appreciate cooked foods for the variety of textures and flavors. "You managed to garner approval from Gray Voice within the council chamber. No small task."

She gave a faint smile from the old stone table, but Samus didn't very happy. "All it really did was show how much I'm considered no better than a weapon here." Her nail traced along the etchings on the table, a sigh as she contemplated the aftermath of the council meeting. "And the fact that now, Shaded Whisper is definitely an enemy of ours."

"I'll have no talk of that Crow in our nest, _Varia_." The amber spheres looked over at Samus with a serious glare. "She's caused enough stress to us, no more tonight."

"You haven't called me that since I was thirteen." Now the blonde human girl had an honest smile on her lips. "Feels good hearing it again."

With the heating unit beeping, Maru tapped a key on the face of the appliance. A moment later, the face of the heater slid open and revealed a large steaming roast of what appeared similar to the meat of a crustacean. "You always loved a good baked Sciser when you were young." He took a pair of pot holder cloths and gripped the tray rack, now bringing it to the table and setting it in the center. Various native vegetables and roots were still steaming, cooked and glazed with a mixture of juices in the roasting tray with the Sciser meat. "You've been home for just under a month now. A celebration after today was in order."

Maru always knew how to bring her mood up. He'd been her father since she had been a toddler, barely older than three, and she really hadn't known anything else. Even if he always reminded her to never forget her real parents, he was her father. And he had proven it time and time again.

"So, what is the deal with Project M?" Samus raised a brow while pulling some of the Sciser meat to her plate, then stabbed a pair of jeda roots with the fork she had brought back with her. Chozo culture being more comfortable or not, human utensils were infinitely more suited to her. "I thought that the Brood didn't develop bioweapons."

Silence. After taking a breath, Maru grasped some of the picks his kind used to pull some of the Sciser meat free, then took a set of roots himself. He was stalling, and Samus could tell. "I'm afraid sometimes even my faith in the Brood has been misplaced." The fatherly Chozo wasn't even going to try to cover the truth. "To be fair, _Varia_ , Shaded Whisper was right about one thing."

His shamed eyes told her enough about what he meant by that. And at seventeen years old, Samus was old enough that she knew it too. "I'm a bioweapon," she muttered under her breath. Maru had never liked her being painted that way, but she knew the truth, and how half the Brood saw her. "I still never told anyone about how I was enhanced with Chozo DNA."

"I know when you're lying, Hatchling.

She was just about to take a bite of a jeda root when Maru said those words. Samus looked from her food to where Maru was looking at her. She could see the disappointment in his eyes, and the fact he knew the truth. "I had to tell Admiral Dane. He knew my biological parents, and he helped me get a foot on Sol-3." Taking that bite, so it could rest there.

"I know about the boy, _Varia._ "

Now she almost choked. Coughing up the piece of root she had been trying to eat, Samus wiped the tears out of her eyes from that violent attempt to breath. She hadn't expected her father to say _that_. "Um, what-"

"I know about the boy, and I know that his death is why you came home." Maru was calm as he took a bite of his Sciser meat, appreciating the texture and flavors. He wasn't behaving as if he were angry, but more disappointed that Samus would try to hide it from him. "Mother Brain informed me of the entries in your journal that she deemed concerning." When he saw her face begin to curl into anger, the Chozo held a feathered finger up. "I informed her that your private thoughts were your own, and that she was not to invade your diaries again. That's all I know of your entries, so save your anger for proving her belief that you are unsuited for life as my daughter to be wrong."

With a sigh, she settled for making sure she ate, even though her stomach was clenching in distress. She hadn't expected the subjects to ever come up, but apparently Mother Brain just couldn't keep her digitally interconnected eyes out of what wasn't her business. "Thank you."

"He must have been interesting if he warrants that much regard, Little Bird. Please at least tell me about him."

And now choking and coughing again. Was her father trying to kill her and make it look like an accident? "For the love of I'ya'dn, dad! Can I not have a near death experience today?" She was still coughing, much to his bemused expression. She grabbed her root tea, all but chugging it, and very glad it was not freshly made. Maru still had that entertained look in his eyes when she managed to clear her airways and was catching her breath.

"Are you ready to-"

"Gah!" The young woman was starting to behave as Maru was expecting for a teenage human who had grown up among her own species. It seemed some traits were inherent. And despite the fact it clearly frustrated her, it amused him. "Bad enough Mother Brain went through my journal and read it to you."

The Chozo gave a shrug. "I'm more curious now as to why you felt the need to tell this boy, Ian, about where you really were for thirteen years, and about your Chozo blood. I understand Castor Dane, but anyone else-"

She sighed. It was hard, but it hurt less now that it was three months later. She was also less bitter at Adam Malkovich, since she'd had time to cool off, and to think about what he'd no doubt been going through. And maybe, talking about it would help her a bit. If she and Adam couldn't settle things out, at least her father knew how to help her.

"We met at the academy, when I was getting moved into the dorms." Samus paused as she started twisting her hands together. Another deep breath. "They typically pair new cadets with classmen a year ahead of them, so, turns out Ian was assigned as my roommate."

* * *

 **2972.179**

 **Mountain Point Military Academy  
** **Cheyenne, Wyoming**

Her bags had been set against one wall as she walked into the two room dorm. The first day of her time here, the next four years. And if she didn't somehow screw up, then an officer in the Galactic Federation Army, just like her father. There was a mix of emotions as she took a deep breath; excitement, a bit of fear, nervousness.

But she was here. That had been the first big step, and it wasn't the last. With a sigh, another deep breath, and her hand pulling a small red ribbon from her pocket, the fourteen-year-old girl named Samus Aran pulled her hair back into a short pony tail, tied it into place with the ribbon, and braced herself for what was coming.

And then she heard the approaching voices. Two males; one sounded younger than the other. She brushed herself off, put on her "social face", as Admiral Dane put it, and turned with almost perfect precision on her heel just in time for the dorm room door to open.

"You're the one setting an example from here out, Ian. Make sure you show this kid the ropes like you got, and you'll do-"

The source of those words stopped as soon as both human figures stood there, staring in surprise at Samus waiting there, waiting by her few bags of belongings. He was tall, probably over six foot, with dusky black hair and dark brown eyes. He looked to be in his late twenties, and he wore the marks of what Samus had learned was a captain in the army. The other male was younger, probably a year or so older than her, his own dark brown hair in the typical male cadet buzz cut.

The fact they looked very similar told her that they were likely siblings, or cousins.

"Uh, is this the right dorm?"

She blinked, cocking her head to one side as she often did when a bit confused. "I just came to where they brought my bags and told me I would be meeting my roommate today."

The taller and clearly older of the two checked his data tablet, glancing a moment later the brass tag pinned to her dress uniform. He raised a brow himself after noticing that she had already been fully ready, unlike most first years. "You're S. Aran?"

"Samus Aran," came the practiced reply. She'd been making sure she did her best to speak as other humans did. Despite being taught Terran Standard English all her life, even after being taken in, Samus was still awkward when it came to actual conversation. "I actually just got into Cheyenne today."

The older of the two men standing in the doorway glanced to the younger, then tucked his tablet under his arm and walked over to her with a hand held out. "Captain Adam Malkovich, this is my little brother, Ian. We thought that S. Aran was going to be a Samuel Aran., not a..." He stalled, his eyes looking to be unsure of what to say next. "What kind of name is Samus, anyways?"

"I'm not exactly sure, to be honest," the girl confessed as she relaxed her posture a bit, then realized she was supposed to shake the offered hand, and quickly finished the gesture. "My dad was fighting in the Kromus war when I was born, but he and my mom were from Riverside in…Iona?"

"Iowa," came the amused correction from Ian as he noticed that Samus was a bit behind on her reactions to things most people wouldn't even have to think about. "Funny, the only Aran I heard of from Iowa was-"

"John Aran was your father?"

That was Adam, who was sudden staring at her in awe and surprise. "John Rodney Aran, the Hammer, hero of the Battle of Kromus... _that_ John Aran?"

And now Ian was having to resist slapping his own face in embarrassment. "Because, if you say yes, I'm pretty sure my big brother is going to start having a total freak out at your father being his hero, idol to his entire class, and pretty much worshipped by half the army that was still teenagers back then." He was waiting for that expression that told that this was nothing to her. The fact she was tilting her head to one side, almost like a hawk or some kind of raptor...

Did she somehow not know?

"Um...yeah, my dad's name was John Aran. I don't know about...being called the Hammer, or being a hero...but I know he was a captain in the army, and he was on Kromus when they drove the Space Pirates out."

That was enough. "She's his daughter," Ian remarked as he slapped Adam on the shoulder. He quickly caught the data tablet before it could drop to the floor, grinning a bit while he watched his older brother look to be having a total mental lockup. "And she's my age, and you're married. I call dibs on taking her to dinner after basic."

The head cocking was one thing. But when Samus gave a confused noise that sounded like a bird chirping, the Malkovich brothers both stared in surprise at her. Another such chirp, before she realized what she was doing and went red with embarrassment. "Let me try that again…what's dibs, and why are you calling it for…taking me to dinner?"

Ian was about to answer when Adam held up his hand to stop him. It wasn't confusion now, it was surprise, and the way he was looking at Samus made her realize it was more than just an unexpected slip...he knew exactly what she'd been speaking in. And he was not going to just ignore it.

"Cadet Aran, I was unaware any human could understand Chozo, let alone speak it." Adam looked at her inquisitively, now walking around her and giving her a closure examination. "Now that I recall, Captain Aran was reported killed along with his family on the K-2L mining colony in a Pirate related massacre."

She flinched at the name of colony planet, something that Captain Malkovich missed as he glanced back at his brother. "You would have been about three, maybe four years old at the time. How did you survive and get off planet?"

"Adam..."

A silencing hand again, but Ian did not look ready to just let his brother pull rank. "Cadet Aran, I asked you a question. You have to know how you survived the K-2L massacre, especially since your father was a military engineer and former special forces."

"Adam, I would really not push this."

He glared at his younger brother, then realized that he was hearing something else. It took Adam a moment to realize that Samus was breathing heavily, and her face was red with what, as he saw her eyes and the death glare aimed right at him, was pure fury. He had pushed the wrong button, he quickly figured out. "Cadet, I'm sorry. I clearly-"

"Admiral Dane was briefed on the circumstances of how I survived when I was brought to Earth five months ago." It was smooth, without hesitation. The reply was almost perfect. Practiced even. The fact she was clearly ready to kill him for pushing on an obviously sore subject proved that it was a response she was well versed at giving. "If you need to know what happened, request that information from him, the Admiral has been designated my caretaker until I reach age of majority."

A low whistle caused Adam to snap out of his shock. As he turned, it realized it had been Ian, who was looking a bit impressed at how his new roommate had shut his brother down. "So, my stuff should be here soon, and you have a wife with a bun in the oven to get back to." Now taking his older brother by the shoulders, turning him, and showing the older of them out the door. A moment later, the door panel slid shut, leaving the two newly acquainted roommates to themselves.

"I'm really sorry about Adam. He really does mean well, but he does have a bit of a habit of putting his foot in his mouth."

"How would he be able to talk if he did that?"

She wasn't joking, Ian quickly figured out. So far, as he'd noticed, this girl had proven slow to respond to the basics of human greetings, and didn't understand some of the simplest of metaphors. Judging from her mannerisms, and the fact she _spoke_ what he assumed, as his brother said, was Chozo, it left little doubt why Admiral Dane was handling all questions about this girl and her past.

"It's a figure of speech." He walked over to the bedroom door marked with his name, glanced at her, then tapped the name plate off the mag-strip and gestured to the door opposite that bore her name. "Let's switch."

That bird head tilt again. This was confirming his suspicions more and more. "Why switch?"

"Because as the senior cadet between us, they gave me the bigger room." He gave her a broad smile as he walked over to her room, tapped off the magnetic plate, then put his in its place. "But, considering who your dad is, and what you probably went through..." Now back to the first door and putting the plate with "ARAN" laser etched on the face on the mag-strip. "I don't mind giving you a little extra. Especially since you were raised by the Chozo and probably molt."

She was silent. That was enough to confirm it. And then she reached up to the back of her neck and pulled out what looked like little fluffy blonde-white feathers. _That_ had been a joke. "How did you know? Admiral Dane classified all information about my arrival."

"I did a thesis on precursor races and xeno-civilizations as part of my entrance exam," Ian replied as he took a chance to walk over and get a look at the fluff in her hands. It was, in fact, a clump of small golden-white feathers as he'd suspected. "Adam and I both studied the Chozo, but to think that they actually took a human into their culture-"

"Can we talk about this another time?"

He hesitated, but slowly nodded. "Basic starts for six weeks tomorrow. Like I said, I call dibs on taking you to dinner afterward, before the academic term starts. We can talk about it after that, because I expect to have earned saying that I'm your friend by then."

Samus gave him that perplexed expression he was recognizing as her peculiar mannerism. She wasn't sure how to respond. More so, she wasn't sure if she quite understood what he was saying. "My...friend?" came the shaky question. "I've never really just had a friend before."

"Were there any Chozo kids, or…chicklets, or whatever they call their children?"

She shook her head again. "Hatchlings, and no. My...adopted father was the last of their kind born before all the females had gone sterile. The Chozo really have burned out their racial lifespan."

The look on Ian's face expressed regret, sympathy, and a certain sadness. He could tell that Samus considered the Chozo who had taken care of her to be her family, and to know that they were on the way into extinction had to be hard. But there was an obvious question that would solve their issue. "They haven't explored cloning to revitalize their race?"

Again, that flinch. "The Brood doesn't believe in cloning as a method of reproduction for a race." She looked even less comfortable talking about that. "They never really explained why, but Maru, the Chozo who raised me, told me that it was seen as a corruption. There's a few Chozo who have pushed to make exception to the law, but..."

"You don't need to explain, I get the gist of it." Ian do have a soft smile, trying to help the girl relax. "We're going to be roomies for the next year or so, after basic. I just don't want us butting heads too much, and we may as well get along. So, friends at least?"

She hesitated, but then slowly nodded and held her hand out to mimic the gesture Adam had given her before. "I'd like that. Never had a real friend before. So, friends."


	7. Visitations

**2972.189**

 **Mountain Point Military Academy  
** **Cheyenne, Wyoming**

Her hair was caked with mud, definitely a lot of sweat, and her course attire was covered in stains and dirt from the day's training. To top it off, she'd managed to get on quite a few people's bad sides over the last week and a half, one of whom was most certainly their drill sergeant. Which was fine by her at this point, being she was outclassing everyone, and in all likelihood didn't need this basic training as it was.

What was the point anyway? All the training she had done on Zebes had more than prepared her for anything that this "beast barracks" was supposed to do. Why the hell did they call it that anyway? And all she was doing at this point was butting heads with other cadets, butting heads with their instructors, and making a lot of people very much not her friends.

It was like the training she'd down back with the Chozo, except _everyone_ was as critical of her as the Chozo, and she still felt like she was an outcast.

"Was this all a mistake?"

She pondered that as she peeled out of her clothes and cranked the shower on. The hot water hit her skin, helping ease the physical tensions while mud began to drip down off her and flush through the floor drain. After a long few minutes, Samus rested her head against the shower wall, breathing in like Maru had taught her to do. Her eyes caught sight of the soft feathers from the back of her neck washing down and gathering near the drain.

Now she was molting too. That meant she was getting close to her cycles, or she was even more stressed than usual. Either way, it was not encouraging. And it had been only ten days.

Ian was pretty much the only friend she had so far, and he was off with his class, the other second year cadets. It wouldn't be until after third week that he came back to the dorm barracks. Which meant she was on her own.

"I miss you, papa," the girl muttered under her breath as she watched more feathers gathering in the muddy water at her feet. She finally grabbed the body wash bar from its dish on the wall, now scrubbing her skin off to try and clean up as much as possible. She felt filthy even after having washed herself, no doubt from the lingering smell. A couple pumps of the hair cleaner from the mounted dispensers, and her hair was lathered in seconds, getting the last bits of grime and mud out.

It didn't take her long to finish washing out her hair. She needed to get dressed against ready for dinner mess before she got yelled at, again, for not keeping herself on their schedule. The blonde girl pulled out a fresh set of undergarments, new training attire, and then quickly dressed herself and made sure she was adjusted. Pulling her hair back and up into the short bun she'd been instructed to wear it in, Samus headed out of her dorm and to the main lift, where a number of other cadets had gathered in wait. Including those whom she already had been having problems with. Lovely. She steeled herself as she walked over to the cluster of cadets, doing her best to keep her mouth shut, even as she heard the whispers.

Apparently, word had gotten around about her very unusual performance in the courses.

"Are they really letting her stay after all that?"

It wasn't the first night she'd heard that. People were starting to figure out that she wasn't quite as human as she looked, even with hiding the feathers. Or maybe that had been noticed and no one was willing to say anything out loud. Having to tie her hair up in a bun didn't exactly help hide the back of her neck and the white blonde feathers there.

"There's no way her dad was the Hammer. He was human."

She stiffened. She had a feeling she knew where that line was going. Already, Samus could feel her hand clenching into a fist. She was tensing up, and she wasn't so sure it was going to be at all subtle enough when-

"What do you think her mom went fucking around with behind Aran's back with to make her?"

The next thing she knew, she was pinned to the floor by three of the senior staff. The girl who had said those vile words was in a corner, face covered in blood with a medic checking her nose and her arm...which was being handled very tenderly and looked to be limp.

What had happened?

"Get everyone out of here, get that cadet to med bay, and someone get some god damn sedatives for _her_."

The drill sergeant. She knew that voice well enough. She couldn't remember what had happened, at all, but if she had been under three full grown men, forcibly pinned, and they were still having trouble holding her, then she knew something very nasty had gone down. And despite everything, Samus was pretty she wasn't regretting it.

"What the flying hell happened, and why did it take three grown men restrain a fourteen-year-old girl who can't weigh more than a hundred pounds if she was soaking wet?"

Everyone else but her, the staff, and the drill sergeant had been removed from the area. Two medics had led the girl with the busted nose and pretty well certain broken arm away to med bay. Likely, they were trying to make sure she stayed restrained until they could put her in restraints, or even knock her out with the sedatives.

"One of the cadets admitted that there was some nasty talk being said about Aran when she arrived for the lift, sergeant." That was a returned medic whom had a hypo in his hands, but he had his eyes on her, noticing she wasn't struggling so much. "Apparently, Cadet Winters made a very nasty comment about Aran's mother, and then got what was probably coming to her for it."

That much, she still remembered. "She asked what people thought my mom had gone behind my dad's back with for me to be born the way I am." It earned her a glare, but she was certainly going to be honest. It was enough for the men holding her to relax a bit. "And I honestly don't remember what happened after that."

"That matches with the admissions given, sergeant."

The man growled, but nodded and signaled for Samus to be released. Once the three men had stepped away, he gave her a very disappointed look. "On your feet, cadet, before I have you hauled away!"

She didn't hesitate. Her gut told her this was over, but if so, Samus was not going out like a whimpering animal. She watched him, knowing that he didn't like her already as it was. This probably was an excuse he'd looking for.

"Cadet, I understand that your parents were killed in a pirate massacre when you were very young." He was pacing a bit now. The medic still had a hypo ready, but he looked more relaxed. "I was informed very early on that you were diagnosed with severe anxiety, post-traumatic stress disorder, and a bit of an issue with authority. The only reason you are even in this academy and not being shipped out to some gutter end colony is because your father was a god damn hero, and Admiral Dane has taken official caretaker custody of you."

The latter, she knew. The former, she had heard a bit, but she still never got all the details. Not even from her Chozo father. "Permission to speak, drill sergeant?"

He stopped mid-step. He was more surprised that she was requesting permission instead of taking it. "Normally, I'd say to keep your trap shut, but this is a bit of a surprise from you, Aran. Permission granted."

"I don't offer any excuse." She was damning herself, but she had been raised to be honest. Hopefully Admiral Dane saw it that way when she was expelled, in basic training no less. "I I don't remember what happened or what I did, but that doesn't change that I did it. Whatever my consequences, I won't make excuse."

His expression was curiosity now. "Cadet Aran, since you confess to not remember, I'll tell you. What you did was beat Cadet Winters' face in, and then snapped her arm in three places. Normally, I'd be having you thrown in a jail cell, but before I decide anything, I need to know; do you regret your actions?"

She gulped. She could lie, say she did, and give them what they wanted to hear. But it wasn't the truth, and they would probably be able to tell. So, knowing she was likely headed to a cell for the night and an expulsion come morning, Samus took a deep breath, and readied herself.

"Truthfully, drill sergeant, I don't." She paused, breathing in again. "She insulted my mother, insinuated I am not my father's daughter, and insulted me. I could ignore the last, but my mother and father died when I was three."

She had flinched at the suggestion of a memory. The drill sergeant did not miss it, nor was he ignorant of what it meant. He also was re-evaluating his opinions of this girl. He resumed pacing for a minute, then halted, turned sharply on his feet toward the men who had restrained her, and nodded that they could leave. "Cadet...you are suspended from training activities tomorrow." His eyes noticed she didn't even react to those words. She was expecting it. "You are to report for a psychiatric evaluation and then return to your dorm until I have a chance to speak to Admiral Dane."

Wait, psych evaluation and confinement to her _dorm_? That didn't sound like an expulsion to her.

"You will have your meals brought to you, for your safety, as well as that of your fellow cadets. Once I've spoken to the admiral, I'll decide what to do with you from there. But let me get this through your head." He leaned down a bit to meet her eye line dead on. "You put one dainty little toe out of line again on my watch, your ass _will_ be in a cell and registered for deportation to Calliope IX faster than you can blink, and to hell with my career when the admiral finds out. Do I make myself clear?"

"Yes drill sergeant!"

He waited a moment, examining her closely, then gave a nod when he was satisfied. "Dinner will be brought to you, and your instructions are to go over your dorm and make sure it is clean and ready for inspection in the morning." After a moment, standing back up to his full six-foot-one height, the sergeant gave a small smirk. "And off the record...glad someone put that little shit in her place."

* * *

 **2972.196**

She'd been in effective solitary for a week. Her basic training had resumed after the first day, but they kept her to a separate course, away from everyone else. It had been, to say the least, a bit demoralizing. And no doubt there was talk among the other cadets over what had happened with her.

It surprised her that she was still allowed to be there. She'd submitted to the psych evaluation as ordered, but she hadn't heard anything from that as of yet. Nor had they put her on any medications to curb her rather obvious anger issues. It was making Samus wonder just what was going to become of her.

It had been another lonely day between her and the new drill instructor that had been assigned to keep her on task. Less anger today, more exhaustion, and definitely more than her share of mud and sweat caked into her clothes and hair. She was starting her day an hour before the other first year cadets, and ending an hour later, just to keep her apart from them. It was...almost degrading.

As she walked down the barracks hall to her dorm room, she noticed that there was a security detail waiting at the door. Had they decided to just remove her quietly and not even bother with any kind of tribunal? "You guys here for me, I assume?"

"No, your visitor."

Visitor? Who would be here to see her, and would have a security detail with them? The guard closest to the key panel tapped in the entry code to open the door, then gestured for her to go in. Samus blinked in confusion as she did as indicated, and then stared at who was waiting in the common area between her room and Ian's. It took her a minute to remember, as a still active cadet, she needed to salute before anything else.

"At ease, Samus. I'm here as your caretaker, not as an admiral."

Her posture relaxed upon those words being spoken by the tall thick built man dressed in the flag uniform of the Federation Marines. More so, she allowed herself to have a smile on her lips at seeing a familiar and friendly face after over two weeks. "It's good to see you again, sir."

Castor Dane gave a nod as he picked up the water glass he has set aside earlier and took a sip. "I heard from Sergeant Xim that you had a rather nasty incident a week ago with another cadet." He noticed there that the smile on her young face dropped into an expression of shame. "You should know that Cadet Winters has been put in deferred training due to her injury, and that is actually helping her somewhat in skipping requirements of the Basic Training while she waits for her arm to heal."

"I did her a favor, basically."

"Officially, an accident did her a favor." The new perplexed look on her face made Admiral Dane chuckle. "Despite the apparent locker talk she spreads about you, Samus, Elsa Winters is not very well liked, probably less so than your initial reputation suggested."

She growled low at that. "So I am hated here."

Another sip of his water, but Dane was shaking his head in response to her statement. "You've apparently got a fair number of detractors, but you're not really hated. You do need to work on that attitude though, Samus, like I warned you about when we discussed you coming to Mountain Point."

The blonde girl sighed, nodded, and took the chance to go to the cold unit and get herself a glass of iced water. "You also told me that I couldn't try and force myself to get along with everyone. Elsa Winters is one of them, after insulting not just me, but my parents." She paused a moment to take a long drink. "Especially my mother."

"That's what I heard happened." Though he now sat down on the common area couch, Dane was hardly relaxing. Even if his visit was in a parental form, he was still Samus' sponsor and an admiral of the Fleet Marines. "You need to keep your temper under control if you're going to make it in this school, let alone in the military."

"I don't even remember attacking her, much less breaking her arm." The admission was, surprisingly, easy for the fourteen-year-old, because it was the truth. "I remember tensing up when she said there was no way my dad was my dad, and then, after she asked what people thought my mom was messing around with behind his back...I blanked out until I came to and realized I was being pinned to the ground."

A brow arced up as he listened to the details. It did match the report from Drill Sergeant Xim, as well as the confessions from the involved cadets. "Right now, Cadet Winters' family has not been informed what really happened. The official medical report is an accident with training equipment, and considering how common injuries similar to hers are in the Beast Barracks, and the fact she apparently is terrified of you after that, it's going to stay that way."

Samus was silent. They were effectively covering the incident up. But why? She was no one, just an orphan who happened to have a father who was famous for reasons she still didn't understand. "Sir, I don't...I mean..." She was having trouble forming and vocalizing her thoughts without defaulting into the chirps, clicks and song that was the Chozo language. "Is that...normal for something like this? I would have thought that after breaking her arm-"

"The Federation sees your father as the prime example of what a hero should be." Dane was blunt in his tone, looking at Samus to note that she appeared confused still. "Samus, do...you not know why your father is considered a hero, and why the army would love to have more soldiers like him?" She shook her head. The admiral sighed and gestured for the fourteen-year-old to sit while he did gook another drink from his water. "When your Chozo caretaker contacted me to inform me that you were alive and returning to human space, I had assumed he had told you about your father's exploits."

Again, she shook her head. "My fath-uh, Maru didn't talk much about my dad as a solider, more of him as a person and one of his few friends among the human colonists on K-2L, before-"

She twitched, her words trailing again. Dane started to stand when she shook her head. He still had worry in his expression, eyes narrowed with concern. Something was bothering Samus when she talked about her homeworld and what happened twelve years prior. The fact she almost referred to the Chozo that Dane knew to have been her caretaker as her father also did not get by unnoticed.

"Well, some of your father's wartime record is public access, but there's a lot still classified." Admiral Dane stood and walked to the water dispenser to refill his glass, then sighed and returned his gaze to the blonde girl who was watching him intently. "The short version, Samus, is that your father is credited with smashing the Kromus offensives on several key worlds and leading the charge that took Krom itself and scattered the Kromus pirates into squabbling factions." A pause as he sipped his water, then gave a quick two fingered point at her. "Including taking out one of their biggest leaders, who we haven't seen since the war ended."

Samus remained silent. She didn't know much about her father, or at least, not much she had been old enough to remember when he and her mother had died. For that matter, she hadn't even known he was famous until Ian and Adam Malkovich had told her that first day. "Does that have to do with...with-"

"Don't think about the colony." Dane sighed and walked over to the chair Samus had seated herself in, a reassuring hand on her shoulder to calm her. His eyes reflected a fatherly concern at her as she looked up at him. "I know that look all too well, Samus. Your father had too after the raids on Vellan V and what happened to the civilian population." His hand squeezed her shoulder, trying to comfort her a bit. "I'll speak with the staff psychiatrist who did your evaluation. Repressed memories are a source of anxiety and possibly some of your outburst problems." Now a pat to her back as he walked to where he had set his officer's hat on the table and picked it up. The admiral drained his glass before setting it in the sink, then smiled and opened his arms to the girl. "Get over here and give me a proper hug before I go, kid."

That was enough for Samus to launch herself out of her seat and into the welcomed embrace. The admiral gave a grunt as she forgot her own body strength, but he smiled, holding her tight. "Your dad was like a son to me after the Kromus killed my family. That makes you like my granddaughter."

A slow nod. That, she had known about. It was why Dane had sponsored her to the academy, been watching out for her. "So they're not throwing me out?"

"No, but you are going to be put on some medications for that anxiety of yours, and to help your temper control." The admiral could see worry in her eyes. "I'm sorry, Samus, but agreeing to that was the only way I could convince Commandant Norrington not to expel you after two weeks in basic." He sighed again, now heading for the dorm door. "I'll see you again on Reception Day once basic training is done and before the academic term starts. Until then...try not to literally break any more cadets. That's your instructors' jobs."

Unable to help the smile that formed on her lips, Samus nodded just before Dane ruffled her hair and left. Even with the door sliding shut behind him, Dane could be heard talking to his security detail, then the sounds of them leaving. The girl sighed, noting that she still needed to scrub off for the night, then head to the mess hall to get food, since she was still in isolation. And then whenever they decided to start medicating her, which probably was first thing in the morning.

Nothing, Samus realized, was ever going to be easy.


	8. Aberration

**2976.113**

 **CLASSIFIED LOCATION**

As the Chozo shuttle burst into existence just outside of the viridian planet's gravity well, it curved hard through the orbiting ring of dust and rocks, racing into the atmosphere and glowing brightly while energy shields protected the tiny vessel from the destructive friction and heat. As soon as it cleared into the lower stratosphere, the lithe shuttle banked hard and accelerated toward a small outcrop hill. Retrojets fired to rapidly decelerate the craft, and allow it to come to a landing on the camouflaged metal platform that waited.

That same platform gave a heavy metallic creak as it slowly descended into the ground, rotating with its journey until reaching a stop in an underground hanger bay. A few minutes passed before the entry ramp released and lowered to touch the platform deck. Descending now, her talons clicking on the metal ramp, was Shaded Whisper. Following her was a spherical drone very similar to that used by the Mother Brain on Zebes, its optic sensor tinted red instead of the clear lens possessed by the unit back in the Nest.

Now making her way into the underground complex, Shaded Whisper was silently greeted by one of the project overseers of the Gra'mou Nest. A simple nod was all she gave as she continued through the corridors and into the main laboratories. Three tiercels stood as she entered, bowing their heads to Shaded Whisper, then returning to their work.

As she walked toward the central possessing tanks, the black feathered female cocked her head toward her companion drone for a moment, her crimson eyes blinking. "I trust you have acquired updates from the central network?"

" _ **Yes. Recent data regarding Metroid exposure to Aeion energy shows expected mutation and evolutionary reactions. Per yours instructions, this was not included this in the report to the Elders. As well, a limited number of larval Metroids have been released into the surface region to help with controlling X-Parasite population growth.**_ "

Her thin beak curled into a tight smile. "Excellent. Once we test them on the local fauna and gauge their capabilities, proceed with the Alpha stage tests." The female Chozo ran a claw tipped finger over the plexisteel tank in front of her as the same dome shaped creature that had been displayed in holographic form to the Elders floated within a thick soup of fluids. "I'm curious as to what effects higher levels of Aeion consumption will have."

" _ **I have already prepared a preliminary report based on observations of Zeta stage development.**_ "

The red orbs that were Shaded Whisper's eyes blinked in surprise. Not an expression she displayed often. " _Zeta_ stage?" The red tipped obsidian feathers of her crest ruffled despite her best attempts at composure. "Mother Brain, we were barely in Alpha stage mutation developments when I prepared my report. How is there an observation for _Zeta_ level development? And why did you not make me aware of this while I was on Zebes?"

The drone floated to come about and look at Shaded Whisper with its red optic. Unlike the way the Zebes drone had angled itself to look down condescendingly at Maru, this unit positioned itself in deference to the female Chozo. " _ **The Elders had ordered me to maintain surveillance on you during your stay in the Zebes Nest. As such, I calculated it was best to wait until you had returned to the Naraka facility to deliver the information.**_ "

The drone moved now, rising and angling into position to project the image of a larval Metroid. This, Shaded Whisper was familiar with. " _ **Exposure to Aeion energy has resulted in the expected Alpha level growth.**_ " The image changed, showing a more insectish creature with frontal mandibles and a mouth protruding from a head. Four small dewclaw tipped legs came out and curled around the green tinged membrane and nuclei that had formerly been the top of the creature. " _ **Currently, there seven Alpha subjects contained within the Breeding Grounds sub-levels. Three subjects have reached Gamma level, and have been contained within the Tower to prevent further casualties to Project M staff.**_ "

Gamma level? There had been more than one unpredicted mutation? "Show me."

A spidery incarnation of the Alpha stage formed in the holographic imagery. Elongated legs, further development of the mouth and mandible region, and an enlarged nucleus. The evolutionary path was very visible, but not what she had expected. "Three are contained in the Tower...and what of this Zeta?"

The holographic changed again, this time eliciting a wild eyed look of horror from the normally collected and stoic scientist. "By the void," she whispered as she turned an eye to the mostly docile larval contained in the processing tank. Looking at the image of the Zeta stage again, Shaded Whisper gestured for the projection to be eliminated. "The Elders cannot know of this. They would order the entire project burned to the last cell culture if they knew."

" _ **I assume they are to be kept ignorant of the Queen?**_ "

She choked on breath alone at those words. "Did you say...the _Queen?_ "

Nothing could have prepared Shaded Whisper for what she saw. If it were possible, she would have paled in fear. This was beyond anything she had imagined with the project. "Where is she?"

" _ **Within the vaults under the Genetics Lab. I am unsure how long those faculties will contain the Queen, as she is still growing and is projected to reach at least three times her current mass and size.**_ "

The Zebesian Nest could not know about this. They would not only shut down the entire project, they would attempt to eliminate all traces of the Metroids, and her own agendas would be found out, if not worse. They needed a catalyst to distract attentions away from her work here, and to eliminate anyone in the Gra'mou Nest who might be inclined to inform the Elders.

But first thing was first. "Prepare all project data and have it loaded into the probe." Her crimson eyes narrowed as she looked once more at the docile larva, then returned attentions to the floating drone. "Once it's all ready, send it and the crystallized samples to the relay point outside Federation Space. We must finish preparations sooner than planned."

The drone gave an approximation of a nod as it scurried in the air around the Chozo female. " _ **I will prepare everything as was planned. But we are still seven years from the expected time of arrival, Shaded Whisper. Is it wise to accelerate projections this quickly?**_ "

"I will handle arrangements for buying us time, Mother Brain. Prepare the carrier probe, then launch and delete the records so those idiots back at the Nest don't realize what's going on." An eye turned to the main doors, where some of the Chozo bioengineers were still working, one that quickly narrowed while feathered brow creased. Her mind was already calculating the needed measures. More so, how to make things appear.

"Lock the observation room, then prepare a scrambled channel." Despite the thoughts in her head and the desperation of her timeframes, Shaded Whisper couldn't help the vicious smile that crept on to her beak. "Make sure that the staff from the Nest are unable to send any communications to Zebes, advise the Elders of unusual activity from the singularity preventing contact."

The drone dipped and rose to mimic the acknowledging nod, then floated off to complete its tasks. Shaded Whisper started her own way to the main communications server, formulating in her mind just what to do. As Mother Brain's drone has said, their projections were for almost a decade out. While mutation from the Aeion energy that was unique to Naraka had been planned for, despite what she had told the Elders, Shaded Whisper knew that something was moving too fast. Nor had they expected further mutations in the Metroids beyond the Alpha stage.

And now a _Queen_. That meant the Metroids could _breed_. On their own.

Just what was the Aeion energy that permeated the life on this planet? Whatever it was had clearly given rise to the X-Parasite, yet it was something that was found on no other world the Chozo had visited. How was it affecting the Metroids like this? And just how long had this Queen been growing under their beaks?

It would have to wait for another time, another chance, perhaps. Reaching the communications server Shaded Whisper waited for the signal that Mother Brain had arranged the needed transmission channel. Once the holographic display generated, the Chozo female clicked the hard tips of her beak while inputting the desired communications frequency. She didn't have long, but it would be enough.

And when the face she expected appeared, her beak twisted further into that wicked smile. The sounds she spoke were not the melodious chirps and clicks of the Brood, but a harsh, almost reptilian, hiss and snapping language. And once the communication ended, she looked to see that the drone had returned.

"Once I have left, seal the Tower and the armory within the Temple." She entered a command code into the communications server before walking back to the main processing tank and tapping the plexisteel wall. It seemed to rouse the docile larva. "I doubt the weapons developed in there will be needed by the overseers...not once our friends arrive."

" _ **Your shuttle has already been prepared by the hanger automations. I have prepared a copy of all Project M data for you in addition to that stored in the carrier probe.**_ "

A nod as she gestured for the observation room to be unlocked. As a number of the Gra'mou bioengineers looked at her, confused, Shaded Whisper put on her best neutral expression. "Orders from the Elders, they wish more information regarding these anomalies in Metroid development. I have prepared a new report to take to them personally."

Again, the solemn nod. They trusted her and obeyed her orders without question. It was what she needed as she made her way back to the main hanger followed by Mother Brain's drone, and boarded her shuttle once more. The craft slowly powered its engines during the rise of the platform lift to the surface, launching once the metal deck had locked against the surface stabilizers. Several of the native creatures scattered at the loud roar when the shuttle fired its main drive, sent racing back toward the vast expanse of space.

Within, Shaded Whisper began setting coordinates into the navicomputer, her eyes narrowing once she'd confirmed her first destination. And then a thought came to her just as she reached for the controls which would have sent her tiny vessel into supralight travel. "I just had a brilliant idea," she mused as she withdrew her hand from the crystalline sphere, looking to Mother Brain's drone. "In six months' time, once everything I have set in motion is done, make sure the Federation discovers a scan from one of their science probes. Odd life form activity on a previously unexplored planet. Unencrypted, open data in all standard languages. Discovery is not a secretive science, after all."

The implication did not miss the Mother Brain's thoughts. Even if through a relay drone, it was enough to know exactly where this was going. " _ **By the time the Zebes Nest finds out, it would be too late for the Elders to take any action. The Federation would have discovered the released larval population, assume it to be a native life form, and takes a specimens for study.**_ "

A nod. A very knowing nod. "Unless the Brood wants to reveal where they've been since they helped consolidate that ridiculous Galactic Federation centuries ago, they won't say a word. And once other parties get word of the Metroids, it will set enough in motion to keep them all distracted while we wait."

" _ **Do you wish to address the matter**_ _ **of Maru and his human?**_ "

Those crimson orbs looked at the drone. Shaded Whisper looked almost insulted at the suggestion that they had anything to be concerned for. "Maru is a child pretending to be an Elder, and his little pet matters little beyond a distraction for him."

" _ **While I agree, he still believes in the prophecy of the War Goddess.**_ " The drone tilted its angle a bit to mimic the head tilt of a Chozo. " _ **And I have little reason to doubt why he gave the human a Chozo name relating to the ancient legends.**_ "

A growl and clicking of her beak. "A stubborn and foolish child." Shaded Whisper shook her head, now resuming her manipulation of the flux drive controls, then placed a feathered hand on the floating crystalline sphere and turned to send the shuttle surging forward into the other realm of faster than light travel.


	9. Haunted

**2976.149**

 **Olympus Mons Ship Yards  
** **ML1 Orbital Point, Mars Orbit**

A hand ran along the freshly installed command chair on the bridge of the newest constructed vessel, noting the soft fresh synth-leather, unmarred by journey or battle. Everything on the ship had a pristine shine to it, the smell of polished metal and clean flooring. It was a scent and gleam the owner of that hand knew would never been seen or found on this ship again after this day.

Tragic. Yet necessary. This was to be the flagship of the new taskforce which would hunt down the roving bands of Kromus Pirates. As much as the factions had been squabbling amongst themselves, the Federation was taking no chances in allowing them the opportunity to unify again. That meant new ships, new crews, and a hell of a lot of artillery. It was a joint force between the Army and the Naval fleet.

Interestingly, it carried a different designation than what newly promoted _Commander_ Adam Malkovich had been expecting.

"There hasn't been a ship that carried the registry code of TCS in almost two hundred years." He looked over to the other occupant of the command bridge, a brow raised at the man as a nod came in response. "Not since the Confederation made contact with the Chozo over two centuries ago and we joined the Galactic Federation."

"Terran fleet officials wanted to make it clear, this is a Confederation ship." Admiral Dane softly smiled as he walked over to join Adam by the captain's seat. His own officer's cap was tucked under an arm, but he was dressed in full regalia in preparation for the day's festivities. "Even if she sails with a Federation task force, she's Terran built, and a product of Sol system."

That curious brow again. "And her name? Ships with that name didn't tend to see the end of a war."

That Dane could not argue, but he still smiled. "It still means a lot." His eyes went to the plague that was mounted by the main lift of the bridge, carrying the name of _Concordia._ "The last ship to carry that name went down in action during the Kilrathi conflict of the mid-2600s. Hopefully, this girl will fare much better."

That did not exactly encourage him. Adam had to admit, however, it was slightly heartwarming to see that Sol-3's presiding government was trying to have some measure of homeland pride in the new carrier they had constructed. And taking the name of the last great fleet flagship, even if it had been lost to war, was a measure of honor to those of their time. "She's been in the shipyards how long now?"

"Two years here at Olympus Mons." Dane couldn't help his own pride showing as he walked over and patted Adam on the shoulder. "She couldn't have been given to a finer ship's captain." A pause as he looked to his wrist-chrono and clicked his tongue against the roof of his mouth. "We should be going. The press will be waiting to cover the launch ceremony, and the crews will be arriving soon enough as well."

The young commander nodded, but gave gesture toward one of the lifts. "I just need a few minutes to make sure they brought all my belongings over from the _Vixiv_ ," he said as he started making his way to that same lift. Adam noted that Dane gave him the approving nod; they had time before the commemoration for the ship, and the launch of the new task force. Once he was on the lift, however, Malkovich gave a sigh, his anxieties getting him again.

He really didn't want to be at this launch ceremony. Months later, he still couldn't shake the idea that he shouldn't be here, let alone be given command of a new ship, a new task force, _and_ a promotion with transference. Part of him still felt he had made the wrong decision. And the hard part was, Adam knew that everyone else was right; he'd had no other choice.

But he still didn't feel any better about it.

The lift came to a halt, letting him off on the barracks deck. He followed the corridor down to the door bearing his name on a laser-cut plate. Emphasis was on his rank; Commander. What had he really done to deserve a two grade jump with this branch transference? His own command? Adam had rarely seen any kind of combat outside of police actions on the outskirts of Confederation territory. How had he qualified command of a task force assigned to handling Kromus activity?

His thumb tapped against the keypad, triggering the door. His belongings from his previous assignment had been set neatly against a wall. Typical for the automation drones that handled such menial tasks. It felt almost like an academy dorm in that regard. With a resounding sigh, Adam walked over to the organized objects, then paused as he saw the small ornate jewelry chest that was set aside on his new desk.

His eyes watered as he finally walked over and ran a hand over the lid of the chest. Slowly, almost reverently, he opened the lid to reveal a small case box inside. "So you're still with me," his trembling voice whispered. Carefully, he closed the lid again, wiping his eyes and making his way back to his quarter's door. Adam paused at the entry, looked back a moment, then continued on his way after keying the door shut.

The press was already gathering when he arrived at the main hanger. Flight crews were quickly working with the incoming shuttles no doubt loaded with more troops and crew for the new flagship carrier. As Dane had said, the Confederation government was making a big deal of this being a Terran carrier, not just another Galactic Federation vessel. And despite the bleed and blend between Confed militaries and those of the Federation, Terrans had a sense of pride when they could call something theirs.

It helped him a bit, to see the ship coming alive. Maybe this wasn't a mistake after all.

"Ah, there's our young CO now."

Dane was calling attention to him. To the press, no less. Malkovich was less comfortable with that than he had been moments ago. In his mind, Adam was praying to that no one brought up the _Lusitania_ accident. It had been a bit of a blip in the media for a month or so after, and the last thing he needed what that reminder of his failures. "Admiral."

"I was just telling our guests here about you, Commander, and your police action in the Teth sector this last year." The admiral gave the younger officer a grin and gestured for Adam to join them. "Then Army Captain Malkovich was chasing a small faction of pirates out of the Antares system, typical raiding party. Seemed they'd tried to set themselves up as local warlords with the population."

Embellishing him again. Adam was used to this bit. It was usually here he'd try to duck out, but considering all the media attention on them, he wouldn't be afforded that opportunity. More so, with ship's crew arriving, he could hardly afford to look like he was trying to avoid his responsibilities as commander.

"Sir, Platoon Nine's arrived. Sergeant Houston said he had received orders to report directly to you."

Oh good. He'd been given his excuse to escape the circus. "Sorry, Admiral. Duty demands I answer."

Dane gave him that knowing look, but nodded and resumed answering questions while Adam followed the deck crewman to the newly arrived troop transport. He tugged a bit at his officer's cap, straightening it out as they approached the large group of men, women, and various species that didn't fit the human gender types. "Good to see you, Sergeant."

The big and burly red-haired man gave a salute as Adam approached, then an affirming nod. "All four squads of our platoon," came the heavy American South accented reply. "Accounted and onboard, Cap- sorry, _Commander_." The grizzled Sergeant First Class gave a big grin he caught himself. "Never did get a chance to congrat'late you on the double jump they gave. Too bad they put you on the bridge of a carrier instead of feet on a dropship."

"I'm sure that I'll be given plenty chance at some point." Adam took the opportunity to pat the sergeant on the arm, then glanced around at the gathered soldiers. "I'm assuming Fireteam Seven is aboard as well. I told Corporal Higgs to see me once they were settled in."

A nod as Sergeant Houston pointed to a small cluster of blue armored troops in one corner. "We picked a couple new recruits before shipping out, Higgs' been showing them the ropes an' all on the way here to the Martian shipyards." After a moment, Houston gave his superior a bit grin. "We're gonna be fine, sir. It's a show of force, remind them crab hands who broke their empire, and do a little police work."

He raised a brow, but said nothing on the matter as he once more patted Sergeant Houston on the shoulder, then made his way over the small group of men and women, all carrying a "7" marker on their armor. "Fireteam Seven."

The tallest of them, Anthony Higgs, snapped to a quick salute. "Officer on deck, scrubs!" The broad dark skinned man grinned as his own subordinates scrambled to salute, some of them fumbling a bit and revealing their freshness. "Corporal Anthony Higgs reporting as requested, Captain."

"I'll let that go for now, Corporal." A return of the salute, and a gesture for the rest of the fireteam to resume their unloading actions. "But once we get underway, try to remember that I've got silver oak clusters and not railroad tracks anymore."

For a moment, Higgs looked confused, then noticed the change of rank pins on the officer's shoulders. "Oh, sorry, sir! Guess it's been a crazy day with all the reassignments and new orders."

"Try to keep on top of things. We're going to have many more crazy days ahead of us." Adam continued on his way now, noticing on his wrist-chrono that he should be back to the press party for the launch and dedication ceremony. Something he really did not want to spend his time at. But, sadly, part of the rapid promotion and tranfer from the Army into Fleet meant he had to deal with pomp and ceremony more often than he'd like. "I probably should be getting back to the admiral and help him with all the media attention this ship is getting."

"Yeah, I know they've gone a little crazy over the fact that it's not a Galactic Federation reg-code." With a glance to his fireteam, Anthony frowned slightly. "Is there some reason they used the old Confed registry?"

"We're a Terran ship," Adam replied smoothly. It wasn't practiced at all, but it was the answer he knew he was expected to give. "Confederation officials wanted to make a bit of a point, since it was Confed Army that broke Krom, and the _Concordia_ is a Confed ship." And secretly, Adam wondered if perhaps the Confederation wasn't trying to send a message to the greater Galactic Federation. That kind of thinking needed to wait, however. They had a launch to handle, and then he had some settling in to do.

His gaze went back over to where Admiral Dane was handling the press still. Adam knew he had to push through this. Better now than later. "And back into the fire..."

The next hour was a blur. The questions about the task force, a few regarding his previous assignments, and some that Dane had finally stepped in to cut off, regarding the _Lusitania_ accident. It had been months, and yet it was still following him. It was after that Admiral Dane had excused him to his quarters to get situated and unwind before the official launch and rendezvous with the rest of the task force.

And yet, when he returned to his new quarters, all Adam could do was stare at his belongings, then the box on his desk. And the memories came back, of the aftermath, delivering the news personally to his parents and watching his mother break down in tears, letting her take her anger out on him as his father tried to stay strong for them both.

To be honest, he would have rather at that point faced Samus Aran's rage than to have broken his mother's heart. But the universe and what powers that be had decided different. And here he was now, not only in charge of troops that he knew were going to be facing the enemy, but of an entire ship, leading a task force against the divided Pirate factions.

In some ways, the course events had gone disgusted him. Adam sighed as he sat down at his desk, opening the jewelry case again, and now pulling out that small box inside. A note had been pinned on to the lid, in Ian's handwriting no less. Every now and then, Adam took this out, reminding himself of what almost was, and what they all had lost. "'Don't forget'," he read off the note, a reminder, quaint as it was now, to himself these days. He was tempted to break the seal that had been wrapped around the box, but he couldn't.

And placing the box back inside the jewelry case, Adam breathed in before closing the lid. He could feel as if he was being watched, judged even. That sense that he was being haunted by his own failure, regardless of what anyone told him. All he could do was apologize to his ghosts, live to fulfill what they no longer could. And remind himself that it wasn't just his life he had to live for.

The holo-picture on his desk of him, his wife Madeline, and the infant girl in her arms. A girl who was going on four years old now, and a little brother on the way. A little girl he knew he was going to see less of in the coming days, and a son whom he might not even be able to see born. He had plenty of reasons to not become one of those ghosts, and these two, soon to be three, lives were the tip of that iceberg.

"Am I still the big brother you looked up to?"

There was no answer to the question. He never expected one, but he had to ask it none-the-less. Adam took a deep breath, noting the time. He needed to check in with the arriving crews and get the launch underway. They had a show to put on before the rendezvous, after all. Better to get it over with.


	10. The Chains Heaviest

**2976.163**

 **Chozodia Plateau, Zebes**

The lift had a shielding panel, but Samus preferred to feel the rushing air in her face whenever she could, reminding her that there was more to the universe than just the Nest. Letting her hair free, blowing in the wind, gave her a feeling of freedom, almost like she was flying herself. It was something she dreamed of often in her waking moments, when she wasn't occupied to with training exercises and avoiding her nightmares.

Maru sat as they waited on the piloting of Gray Voice, who had been silent this entire flight out to the canyons. His amber eyes blinked as he watched Samus enjoying the wind and breeze, a soft smile on the line of his beak. It was not often he got to see the girl so content. "I trust that we won't see Shaded Whisper for another seven years, after the last council meeting." Samus didn't react to mention of the Crowish female Chozo in charge of the Naraka scientists. Good, she was enjoying the lull of the morning. "It's best she stay away so long as my daughter remains home with us."

"We'll talk about what happened regarding Project M later."

His gaze shifted to the elder Chozo, eyes blinking with confusion. That sounded rather ominous for what was an attempt at casual discussion. "Mother Brain didn't report any issues last I had heard, did some thing happen?"

That glare again. The one Maru recognized all to well as a signal to drop the matter. "I said, that will be discussed later. Your ward has a trial ahead of her. I suggest you focus on that."

Gray Voice was not usually this intense when it came to new phases of Samus' training. Normally, the elder Chozo was pessimistic, uninterested save for the time and resources being spent on the human girl. For that matter, a simple training block hardly should be considered a "trial" to be concerned for.

It was then that Maru looked out and realized they had changed course. They were outside the reach of Mother Brain's primary observation network. Not headed into the canyons where the drone foundries had been situated, but out into the ancient city ruins, the original Chozo settlements on Zebes from millennia prior. "Gray Voice...we're supposed to be in the Byzion Canyons for combat drills. Why are we-"

"You still believe in the legends of our ancient ancestors, do you not?" The elder didn't look at Maru, but it was clear that he was addressing the matter directly. They continued further into the remains of the ancient city, causing Maru to look about in confusion even as Samus noticed they weren't where they were supposed to be. "If you truly trust the prophecies of the Ancients, then this is necessary."

That gave Maru cause to worry as he knit his feathered brow. The prophecies of the Ancients were no light matter, and if they were travelling into the ancient city of Chozodia, the very place their plateau took its name from, it meant that they could have only one destination in this trip. It was not one he felt it was time for. "She is not ready for that."

"Ready for what?"

He turned his head, noticing that Samus looked to him. She had her own head in her peculiar tilt, her breath coming out as a faint chirp while her eyes begged an answer. Maru did not want to give what he feared was where Gray Voice intended to take them, but, it would be far too obvious soon enough. He may as well.

"Gray Voice seems to see it time for us to visit the Halls of I'ya'dn," the younger Chozo answered as his plumage ruffled. Gray Voice, he noticed, did not react at all. Typical of the Elder to be stoic and withdrawn, even if he was more or less on their side of things. "A place we have not been since you first came here."

"When I was three and I drew on-"

The sharp cough from Maru ended that train of discussion just as Gray Voice found himself staring at the human girl with an expression best described as shock and possible horror. "I believe she's merely expressing how young she was and how faint the memories may be," the younger Chozo quickly said in hopes of keeping them all on whatever task that Gray Voice had brought them into the ancient city for. "To be fair, I question why we are coming to the Halls of I'ya'dn when Samus is not-"

"It's not the trials of the temple I speak." The lift began to slow, and as Gray Voice brought the craft about to make landing, his dark hazel colored eyes stole a glance at the human girl, dressed in the blue short-sleeved under armor, and observed her confusion. The Elder continued to focus on bringing the speeder lift to a grounded halt, and then, once the craft had powered down, gestured for both Samus and Maru to follow him into the city ruins.

As he had said, it was not to the great temple that sat at the heart of the derelict city they traveled, but instead a squat dome that resembled the old war houses Samus had read about in her studies of the Chozo's militaristic warrior past. "This is one of her own growth that we set her to, Maru." His feathered hand grasped an outreaching statue, and the massive doors gave a heavy _thud_ sound before the stone panels swung open. It was musty inside, and both Maru and Samus could see that the dome structure hadn't been used for centuries, even millennia.

"Come."

With those words, Gray Voice led the way, glancing back only to make sure that he was being followed. A flick of his wrist over a crystalline orb caused a flicker of light to begin growing in strength until the entire chamber was lit and revealed that Samus' mental supposition had been correct; this was an old Chozo war house, where the warriors of the Ancients had trained and prepared for battle. Statues that had been raised to the glory of their militant ways stood at the far end of the primary chamber, a pair that represented both male and female of the ancient warrior caste.

A tribute to strength and conquest. Something the Brood tried to put behind them as their kind slowly passed into memory.

"Summon your powered suit, Hatchling. We begin."

Hatchling? Both human girl and adopted Chozo father glanced at each other. Gray Voice had rarely referred to Samus by any nomenclature beyond her own name. To hear him refer to her by Maru's own preferred term was off putting.

Samus looked to her father, who only nodded to her. With a deep breath, she tapped her hand to the emblem on her under armor, initiating the electric display that concluded with her transformation into the six foot tall suit of power armor. She looked over to Gray Voice, indicating she was ready by lifting her arm cannon and allowing it to give a heavy _click_ as it armed. "So, what kind of training exercise is this? Close combat, survival techniques?"

"Exploratory."

Even through the visor, Samus' confusion was all too evident. The tilting of her head revealed she had no idea what Gray Voice was talking about. "Exploratory?" she repeated in question. Her right arm slowly lowered as she tried to understand what exactly the elder Chozo had meant. "I thought we were doing more combat drills and defense training."

The elder gave a chuff and clicked the tips of his beak, but it was not an action of disappointment, not as it usually was. "Contrary to what some of our people, and in particular, Shaded Whisper, like to think, you are more than just a weapon of our making to fix the errors of the Ancients." The confused way that Maru was looking at him was not missed, but Gray Voice focused on the matter at hand instead of addressing the unspoken question of the younger Chozo. "Most of our kind tries to avoid reminders of who we Chozo once were. They see you and your path that we placed before you as a reminder of that heritage."

His hand came up and gestured for the armored human to follow him. As they drew near, Samus could see that resting between the statues on a pedestal was a glowing round object less than a meter in diameter. She wasn't sure what the purpose of this particular exercise was, but judging from Gray Voice's gaze, it had something to do with this glowing sphere.

"One of the things Maru made sure to include in the design of your powered suit," the Elder began as he nodded his head toward the sphere, "was the capacity to expand its arsenal. Not just in offensive and defensive capabilities, but also in exploratory methods. Sensors, scanning visors, and the like are the obvious additions possible."

Her armor's visor was already running its scans on the sphere, displaying a series of data entries that were pulled from the Nest network archives. "Archives say it's called a m'ru'ma'ri..." She had a confused look on her face as she translated the Chozo word in her mind. "A changing sphere?"

"Ancient Chozo warriors used these relics to aid meditation and focus in their training." Gray Voice noted that Maru was looking to for further answers as to why they were here. "For one such as you, it can be used more long term as a method of covert exploration and as a tactic for stealth."

As much as stealth was possible with a six-foot-three suit of power armor that was colored bright yellow and red and weighed about two hundred pounds on its own. But it was better not to vocalize that observation. "So, how do I use this thing? Do I have to carry it around, or is there a junction point on it for me to get a system unit I can plug into my armor?"

"You meditate."

The answer was not one she had expected. Her head and the helmet on it cocked to one side, while under her breath, Samus gave a soft inquisitive chirping sound. It made her adoptive father smile despite the seriousness of their purpose here. Biologically human or not, Samus was very much a young Chozo in her mannerisms and expressions. "Meditate? For an armor function?"

"Mother Brain already included a module that mimics the powers of a m'ru'ma'ri, but the actual activation and function of it requires a clear mind and utmost focus to master." Gray Voice gestured to Samus for her to begin said meditations. "If you are serious about resuming your duties and training under our instruction, this is merely one of many lessons to expand what you will be capable of."

The emerald visor turned to Maru, who could only nod agreement in return. While he didn't quite understand himself, Gray Voice was the lead Elder of the Council, and his wisdom could not often be argued. "I'm sure this is a test that should aid you in many ways, Little Bird. Do as Gray Voice instructed."

Not sure, but nodding regardless, Samus stepped onto the resting platform as indicated. She reached to the glowing green emblem marker on the red chestplate of her powered suit, but a shake of Gray Voice's head stopped her. "You want me to meditate with my armor on? But how am I supposed to focus on the changing sphere if my armor is running?"

His beak clicked even as he clucked his tongue against the roof of his mouth. "You cannot accomplish transformation into the m'ru'ma'ri without your armor, Hatchling. And if you seek to master the powered suit, then you must stop thinking of it as a shell, and start thinking of it as your own outer skin." Again, the elder Chozo gestured for Samus to seat herself. "There is more than one lesson here to be learned."

There was an audible groan as Samus carefully set herself into a sitting position. Inside her armor, it was difficult, but she eventually found a posture that didn't put her hips into cramps from the uncomfortable situation she was in. What lessons that Gray Voice referred to, she wasn't sure, but most of her training had been aspects she grasped quickly. Likely, this would too. At least, so she hoped.

She closed her eyes once she had found that mostly comfortable position, resting her cannon arm against one leg while bracing her posture with her left hand against her armored left thigh. Samus began to slow her breathing, the usual technique she employed when she was instructed to meditate and clear herself.

Maru, meanwhile, coaxed Gray Voice away from where Samus was knelt on the floor, his eyes narrowed a bit as he shifted his posture. He was not amused by what he saw as a possibly arranged failure. "What exactly is this, Gray Voice? You know she doesn't have the patience for many of these meditation exercises, so why put her to this task?"

"I seem to recall another young fledgling who has no patience," the elder remarked with a wry calm. His hazel eyes looked down at Maru, while the soft parts of his beak pulled into an amused smile. "And that walking staff of yours which serves as a reminder why patience is so important."

An annoyed chuff was the younger Chozo's response. He leaned on said walking stick as he lifted his left leg under his robes. Yet despite his best efforts, he could not hide the pain in his features from that limb and the damage it carried. "I still have no regrets," his soft voice muttered. "Better I stood for my beliefs than speak empty claims of seeking to protect a galaxy that we instead abandon."

"And the child has still learned nothing." Once more, Gray Voice gave a resounding sigh, this time directing his disappointment on Maru instead of the young human, who was clearly struggling with her own lack of patience as she tried to focus as instructed in this exercise. "It's no wonder your ward has such trouble finding her center and being more like us as you claim to wish for her."

The younger Chozo growled, his attentions redirecting themselves back toward Samus. This was nothing new. Maru had endured criticism and patronizing commentary on not just his decision to raise Samus as if she was his own, but on many other choices in his young life, including those that led to his own injuries. Especially the events that led to his injuries.

"So what exactly am I doing besides breathing in and focusing?"

Ironic, yet perfect, timing on Samus' part.

"The m'ru'ma'ri requires a clear mind to accomplish transformation, Hatchling." Gray Voice turned his head toward the armored young woman, tilted in a fashion that told her that he was not exactly amused by her attempts at distraction. "Difficult as this has been for you in the past, I would expect that you can make some effort toward accomplishing that."

She huffed as she tried to settle back into the mental state needed, despite not knowing what kind of mental state she was supposed to reach for turning into whatever the m'ru'ma'ri was supposed to be. At least when Maru designed her training exercises, it was clear and straightforward. Gray Voice had a habit of being vague and ambiguous with the purpose. "If I knew what I was supposed to be doing, maybe it wouldn't be so hard for me."

"You're old enough for your species to bear your own young, do not expect me to treat you as a child forever."

Even though the visor hid her face, Samus could not help but glower at Gray Voice in contempt for his remark. Reminders like that were the last thing she wanted when she was supposed to be clearing her mind. "You seem fine with it so far."

"Clear your mind of your impertinence and focus on your task at hand." Gray Voice snapped his beak in frustration. The human adolescent had been pushing the limits of his patience since her return from Terran space. He had hoped that the praise he'd given in front of the council, subtle as it was, would have helped ease her attitude toward him. Instead, her belligerence had only gotten worse. "The Council has placed its faith in you, so you had best act like-"

The elder Chozo didn't even have time to finish his words before she growled and stood up, no longer trying anymore to satisfy him. "I'm done with this."

"You admit failure then." The harsh words offered no alternative to their meaning. Gray Voice was blunt and unsympathetic in his expression of disappointment. He also did not miss the glare that both father and daughter shot at him for those words. "This is something even the most novice warrior-to-be of the Ancients was able to grasp. If you're unable to attain even basic comprehension of this method, then you are _not_ the champion we trusted you to be."

There was a heavy _thud_ as Samus brought the full weight of her armor down in a single footsteps. Overly dramatic as it might have been, she knew it would force his attention. And as it was, Samus was known in the Nest for being quite 'dramatic'. "You said Mother Brain already installed a changing sphere module." She wasn't even going to bother with saying the word in the song tongue of the Ancients. "So my armor can already pull it up and switch the thing on."

"It merely gives your armor the potential to activate the transformation. You still need to achieve the mental state required, Hatchling." Those hazel pools narrowed as he watched Samus bring her free hand to the side of her helmet. "What are you doing?"

"Activating the change sphere module." There was more than a trace of smug pride in Samus' voice as she was searching though the CPU of her suit to find the system module in question. Her eyes caught sight of the related files, leading her to mentally trigger the module to "on". After closing out the CPU menus, the girl turned her head at Gray Voice, cocked in a way that spoke volumes of the self-satisfied grin on her face. "It's a system variable. So instead of however the Ancients accomplished this, I have it programmed into my suit."

It was not unnoticed when Gray Voice rolled his eyes at her. He said nothing, however. If the human was intent on attempting this her way, then the lesson would be further reinforced. As such, the elder gave a sigh, then carefully lowered himself into a seated position and set his own breathing as a meditative pace.

That was, to Samus, enough of a challenge. She braced herself, mind imagining what she assumed was the mental trigger to activate the transformation, then gave a hop forward into the air while curling up…

And crashed to the ground on her back when she realized she hit feedback in her attempt. Samus groaned, checking the CPU displays to make sure the Change Sphere module was active; toggles were positive. "Let's do this again," she muttered, picking herself back up and readying once more. This time, she settled for dropping down into a ball as she focused her mind on the desired suit function, only to find herself forcibly prone on her back once more and her body in a fair amount of pain as a result of the feedback from failure. What was she doing wrong? The module was active, and she was focusing on the system itself, just like when she toggled her cannon's missiles on and off, or switched the various scanning functions of her visor.

A third attempt resulted in further feedback, leaving her crashing of her front side. Now she growled as she pulled herself to her feet once more. This shouldn't be as difficult as it was becoming. "What the hell is the god damn trick to this?" Samus muttered under her breath. Standing again, she slowly knelt down, concentrated, then tucked in only to be hit by the increasingly painful feedback that threw her off her feet and slammed her onto the ground on her back.

"Seriously?!" the teenage girl roared as she rolled over and slowly got back up for the fourth time. "This is a system module! Like my damn missiles or the variable beam system! Why the hell is it so hard to activate it?!"

Her growing frustration and temper caused Gray Voice to shake his head. Not in disappointment; he'd expected this outcome from the very beginning. "I told you," the elder replied, even though the question was obviously rhetorical and not aimed at him. "To accomplish the m'ru'ma'ri takes mental clarity, it is a meditative technique, but one I believe you can adapt for more pragmatic exploratory uses." He clicked his beak as he watched the girl prepare to attempt the transformation again; she was stubborn, if nothing else. "But you will never attain that transformation if-"

Another crashing thud, the scream of frustration and pain as the feedback increased in its discharge. Samus had never been known for her patience, but this, the elder Chozo noted, was definitely reaching a new level of stubborn pride for her. She was completely missing the point, and while he had hoped she could learn the true lesson, and perhaps even the one he claimed to be teaching her, her youthful ego was getting in the way again.

"Just let me do this!"

Another attempt. Another electric whine of feedback and the crash as Samus was thrown to the ground, screaming more in anger than the pain she was experiencing. Some of the Nest might find this comical, for the human to attempt so hard and yet miss all the meaning so painfully. But for Gray Voice, there was nothing funny in what he saw. He had hopes, and as the hazel spheres of his eyes looked to where Maru was watching, the elder could see the pain in Maru's own eyes. Not disappointment, but sadness, anguish.

The inner torment of seeking to be accepted, but forever being treated as something else.

"That's enough."

One final crashing thud, one last cry of pain and anger. She was already moving to try again, but Gray Voice stood up and shook his head. He'd seen enough already. "Samus, that's enough for now." The elder looked at his younger companion, blinking calmly even as he could see the emotional pain in Maru's features. "I think...that's enough for the rest of the day. Go home with your father. Rest, find comfort, and ease your soul."

She was silent. Never had Gray Voice spoken so softly to her, or to Maru. He was always so harsh, even though he often was trying to help her. His method of teaching was direct, often pushing to the limits, but he was telling her to not stress herself. What had happened? What had changed?

"Maru, you rest as well." The elder walked to the young Chozo, a hand resting now on Maru's shoulder. "Take her home to your nest, find comfort. We'll speak of Naraka when you both have been able to heal your own wounds." And a sigh as he walked to the meditation platform Samus had previously occupied and lowered himself into position. A deep breath, his eyes closed, and his plumage fluttering. "Give me my time to reflect on this. But, rest."

When he didn't hear them move to leave, Gray Voice opened his eyes again. He was not expressing anger, but his features showed that he was reflecting on some painful matter. "I will be fine. I will have Mother Brain send an automated lift to bring me back later. You two return now. We will discuss what you have learned, Samus, when I return."

Father and daughter looked to each other, both clearly confused, but Maru gave a nod and hobbled over to encourage Samus to listen to the Elder. As soon as they both had departed, Gray Voice returned to his meditations. Reflecting on what his lesson had failed to impart on the human, on what he had seen in Maru's eyes, and what it had stirred in his own soul. Chozo were not so prone to their deeper emotions, at least not the elders. Maru had always been an exception as the last of their kind to be born, and his exposure to the Terrans had been a definite factor in his handling of his feelings.

But that had not been what Gray Voice witnessed today, and it had made him reflect on things he now considered may have been mistakes in his own past. More so, perhaps his methods for training their expectant champion, their legacy, might not be the way that would help her. He had observed that Maru wanted Samus to indeed be one of their kind in all ways she could. She spoke their language, she grew feathers like a young bird of their race, and her DNA was almost a perfect hybrid of theirs and Terran because of Maru's efforts. And if she should choose one day to bear hatchlings of her own, Gray Voice knew that their own race would live on through her progeny. Maru had, indeed, made sure of that.

But the burden they had been forced to place on her, as their legacy. That burden was also on Maru as the last of their kind, the last Chozo who had never been touched by the plague of sterility that now damned them to extinction.

They both suffered in different ways, but in the same as well. They were both the last of their families. It was no wonder that, over the last fifteen years, Maru and Samus had very well grown beyond caretaker and ward. They were, in all ways possible, truly father and daughter. And they shared the terrible chains of fate that the Chozo were forced to place on them.

"Bright Visions...did you know?" The Elder opened his eyes some time into his reflections, and he could feel the wetness forming around the large pools of his eyes. He hadn't shed tears in centuries. But now, accepting that perhaps Maru had been right that the Chozo had lost something as a species, he felt them once more. "Did you see the fate that awaited our kind? The fate your son now faces as his daughter must face her own?"

It would not be until well after nightfall that Gray Voice summoned the lift drone to take him back to the Nest.


	11. Hallowing

_She stood there, looking at the main screen as they all watched five lightly armored men and women head into the engine drive. It was a standard operation, and one that even a ship serving as an academy training ground was equipped to handle. A thermal oscillation unit was something a cadet team could handle on their own, and they definitely had been trained for it._

 _"All crew and passengers clear, Captain Malkovich. We're heading into the main engine."_

 _"Acknowledged." From his position on the bridge, standing next to the Fleet Captain Eisen, was Adam Malkovich, overseeing the Army cadets and their training. "Specialist Farns, our cadets are in your hands. Make sure they get a good work through."_

 _Everything was fine, just as planned. And then Farns went into the main oscillator with Ian right behind her. Opening the manual shut off so that the engines would cool, allowing a safe tow for further repairs._

 _And the alarms went off. A cry like banshees as the bridge of the **Vixiv** was consumed in confusion, panic. And at the center of it, she felt her heart tear out as on the main screen, still displaying the video feed from the oscillation unit of the **Lusitania** , Ian and Specialist Farns were trying to figure out what was going wrong._

 _"Sir, main engine drive is overheating!"_

 _"Second team reports that engineering station is not responding!"_

 _She turned to Adam, her eyes wide with horror as he just stood there. Why wasn't he doing anything? "Adam, I can get them out! Let me go!"_

 _No answer. It was like he hadn't heard her. "Adam! That's your little brother! Let me save him!"_

 _He didn't even flinch. "Seal off the drive unit and prepare to disengage it from the **Lusitania**."_

 _"I can save him!" She stood there, fully clad in her powered suit. She could tear through the drive unit and get at least Ian and Farns out. More alerts were screeching as she readied to push her way through the ship, but she was the only one who showed any concern. Even Captain Eisen was just standing there. What was wrong with everyone? "Why won't any of you do something?!"_

 _"Why didn't you?_

 _Her heart stopped. Everything around her seemed to freeze in time, except that voice she knew far too well. With baited breath, she turned to see Ian standing there. His containment suit was blasted open, scorched from the explosion she knew had claimed his life. His face was slowly burning from the small licking flames that were peeling his skin away. And his eyes were empty even as they were turning bloodshot from the heat that consumed him._

 _"Why didn't you save me, Samus?" His words were like a knife into her heart. "My brother was just doing his job…but why couldn't you save me? You said you loved me, why didn't you save me?!"_

 _The screaming alarms continued, but she could only stare as Ian was consumed in flames, his words twisting in her heart as she couldn't move or breath. She tried to speak, but found only silence in her throat._

 _"Why couldn't you save us?!"_

 _And she finally turned to see a woman behind her, red-touched blonde hair alit as the plains burned around them, her own skin cracked and blackened by flames. She reached out to the armored girl, causing plates of her suit to start disintegrating into embers and ash wherever she touched._

 _"Why did we have to die, Samus? Why did we all have to die?"_

 _And then she heard that horrific high-pitched laugh as the glowing red eyes appeared from fires._

* * *

She gasped as she shot up, her throat raw as she panted heavily. Her hand came up to her chest, making sure that her skin was intact; sweaty, but no burns. An instant later, her hand reached to her eye; there was the burning sensation of a fresh wound, but her scar was just as healed as always. After a moment, Samus realized she could hear noise from outside. She was in her room, in Maru's nest. And the fact her throat was raw meant that she'd been screaming in her sleep. Which meant that the sounds outside were Maru, checking on her.

She had woke him up. Again.

" _Varia_ , are you alright?"

Her Chozo name. It was becoming more frequently used, and it was hard to deny the comfort it gave her to hear it. Samus took a breath, reached over to the carved nightstand and grabbed her shirt. A moment later, having pulled it on, the girl tried to settle her nerves. "You can come in now."

A soft hiss accompanied the door as it slid open to reveal Maru standing there, holding a small night-lamp as he was dressed in a simple over robe. "This is the third night this week," he whispered as he walked over to her bedside. The Chozo settled himself after a moment of making sure he had a clear spot, and then set his night-lamp on the small table by her bed. "I can make you some k'mal tea to help your nerves."

Leaning forward now as she lifted her knees up so she could rest her head, the human girl gave a nod. She was definitely feeling the effects of abandoning her medications from the academy, though many of the problems they had caused were worth the consequences of dropping them. The Chozo thankfully had many plant based counterparts that served the needs, but even so, when the nightmares came, nothing could stop them.

As he rubbed her shoulder before leaving to make the tea, Maru gave a concerned sigh. These episodes had become more frequent since Samus had returned compared to their frequency before she had gone back to Terran space. Despite their discussions about her life with her own species, Maru knew she had not told him something important about what happened to her. Something that happened with her time in the Confederation had made her nightmares worse.

And his instinct as a father told him that it was the boy who had been her friend and confidant before the accident. No one let just a friend affect them this much. They had either become like family...or she was refusing to tell him how close they had really been and what had gone on. Which didn't take a father, adopted or not, long to figure out what that was.

A steaming pot of root tea was ready soon enough as Maru gathered his thoughts. A cup for him and Samus each was prepared before he made his way back toward Samus bedroom. She was still there, trying to calm herself. "An extra concentrate to help with your anxiety, little Hatchling."

As she lifted her head from her knees, Samus nodded her thanks while accepting the steaming cup. A few sips as it still cooled, but her throat was already calming and feeling less raw. Her nerves and anxiety would take some time, but Samus always had been able to rely on Maru's care before. She also ended up with far less nausea and vomiting than with the medications the academy had forced her to take.

"The nightmares again?"

She nodded as she sipped her tea. Maru took a drink from his own cup, having to pour a bit into the front part of his beak since the tips were hard. "They were...a bit different this time. I still don't remember what happened really beyond all the fire, and that laugh." Samus stopped as she realized she was shaking again. She'd come to recognize that really anything that made her think about the events of K-2L started these reactions. She did not want to remember.

And Maru was all too aware of it as well. "Don't force it. When such things are forgotten, it is the only way the mind is able to heal." He gave her a soft smile, drinking some more of his own tea, and setting the cup on her nightstand. "But this was indeed different, _Varia._ You said your friend's name, the one you were assigned with at the Academy." He kept an eye trained on her for reaction. If he pushed wrong, she was likely to go into a state where she would lock him out.

"Did Mother Brain read more of my journals behind my back again?" The tone was half joking, but they both knew that the super computer intelligence was not above such behavior.

"No, a father knows when his daughter isn't being completely honest about the relationships she had with others." Maru sighed as he rubbed his temples. He'd thought they were past this, but it seemed that human adolescents were indeed of a disposition toward keeping their secrets as a rule. "A simple friend, _Varia_ , would not have made you abandon your learning and your place in human society as this boy's death did, nor would it have disturbed you enough to make these new nightmares plague you as they have."

She was silent. Not out of shame or dishonesty, but because she had wanted some privacy to this matter. And she knew what was coming even before Maru asked the dreaded question.

"What was your real relationship with Ian when he died, child?"

A deep breath. Another sip of her tea to help her nerves and to settle her stomach, because her anxiety was causing a wave of nausea that threatened to make her throw up. After she felt less nauseous, Samus set her cup on the carved stone nightstand and took one more deep breath.

"If you were anyone else asking me that, I'd tell you to go to Hell." Her eyes were filled with pain, tears coming down her cheeks. "But because you're my father, the one person on this rock that actually cares about me, and I know you're only asking because you want to help, not to shame me or pry into my life, I will tell you."

"You loved him."

Silence followed those words. When Samus did not respond, Maru only gave a soft, pained and understanding smile. " _Varia_ , despite what the elders have claimed, we Chozo know the aches of the heart all too well. We have two of them, after all." When she looked at him, her eyes revealing all he suspected, Maru reached out and held her shoulder to pull her close for a hug. "There is no shame in admitting this to me. My regret is that the boy was lost far before his time, and that I did not have chance to meet him."

"After he got back from his yearly basic training and the academic year started, he did take me on that dinner he promised." She was finally speaking, her eyes still bloodshot, but calming at least. Samus breathed in deep as she wiped her face off, clearing away the tears. "Ian found out about the medications they put me on, about how I broke Elsa Winters' arm, and...he frankly didn't give a shit."

"His words?" The Chozo gave a smile and a raised brow at Samus' choice of words. She wasn't often one for resorting to such human expressions, though since she had returned to Zebes, her attitudes were more reminding of her biological species than those of the race she'd been raised by.

It was enough to make the girl laugh, even if it was strained. "Yeah," she replied, nodding despite herself. "Yeah, those were his words. I, uh, learned quite a bit of non-standard English from him...and some of my instructors at the academy."

That feathered brow arced, though quite amused by the girl's explanations. "Your command of the more colorful vernacular seems to extend beyond our tongue's own, it seems. Please, tell me more about Ian. Perhaps it might help you get through this."

Normally, that would be the last thing she wanted to think about. But Maru was right; her nightmares had gotten worse ever since Ian's death, and the fact she refused to confront it no doubt had to do with it. "Only because you're not Mother Brain. And the fact that, I know you would have liked him." Samus took the chance to pick her cup up again and sip at her tea. It was cooling, but still warm enough to help her. "Um, so...he was a bit older than me, about a year or so. His older brother, Adam, is about twelve years older than Ian was."

"So Ian and Adam were familiar with your birth-father, as I recall you telling me." Maru took the chance to reclaim his own cooling cup. It wasn't often they had a chance to just sit and talk like this, the way a parent and child should be able to. "And they had concluded where you had been raised on their own deductions."

Again, that nod. Samus found that she was feeling a little better talking about this more than she had the last time her time at the Confederation military academy had been discussed. "Adam's been very curious about precursor cultures like the Chozo, so he had done a research paper on them during college, and Ian followed suit for his academy entrance essay. They knew enough to recognize Chozia song speak when I had that slip I told you about."

"That would be my doing." Another gulp of his tea to finish it off, and Maru set the cup down on the nightstand once more. He gave a soft smile and a shrug. "I had more direct interaction with the Federation at large, and humans in particular, before the Kromus War, so there are some who I gave lessons to in Chozia song speak." His tongue clicked against the roof of his mouth as he reminisced himself on his own past. "That, _Varia,_ is actually how I met your birth-father, just before the war."

This intrigued her as she decided to gulp down her remaining tea and set her cup aside. "So you actually knew him, before the war and the colony?" Samus could feel the edge of her curiosity overcoming her usual anxiety at even thinking about the events of K-2L. It was a welcome reprieve. "You have mentioned before that there were some humans you considered friends."

"John Aran was most certainly the closest of those." Maru sighed as he adjusted himself and his seating posture. It seems they both had much to tell the other, and Samus' story could wait a bit for now. "We kept in touch when I was able in my duties as liaison between the Brood and the Federation, but after the War...obviously contact became harder."

He winced as he could feel the pain in his damaged left leg. Maru took a moment to adjust himself so that his legs could stretch, hopefully letting the muscles relax. The tightening sensation told him otherwise as his nerves felt like they were being raked with knives. "Forgive the distraction." Another wince as he attempted adjusting again. "Twenty-five years have not been enough, it seems, for this to end the troubles it causes me."

Finishing her own tea, Samus looked to her adopted father in confusion. This was the first she had heard Maru talk about his injuries, let alone how he'd known her biological parents. "How did you hurt your leg? Gray Voice said once that it was the price of your impatience."

"And of associating too much with immature species such as the Terrans." A gruff chuffing was his expression of how he regarded such a sentiment. "I admit, he has always been quite critical of me more than most, especially after my mother passed from this plane while I was a hatchling." It seemed he was contemplating something for a moment, but then shook his head softly. "I met your father just before the war broke out to its worst point. He had enlisted to...counterbalance his higher-schooling, I believe was the phrase."

That expression, she better understood. "Pay off college, you mean." Samus smiled faintly as she settled in her bed a bit. It was a nice change to hear about her biological father as a person, after three years of having the military legend held over her. "It's when you go into military service so that they cover your education costs. Adam told me that's how he started after his accelerated courses, by enlisting for a commission as an officer after he finished school. Ian was able to get a sponsor for enrolling in the academy, so he didn't end up going that same route."

A nod, now that he understood better the phrase he'd been seeking to use. "Yes. We met during the official swearing in of Chairman Vogl, before the Kromus War broke out. Your father was on detail assignment for one of the attending Confederation Admirals, I believe it was Castor Dane."

That sounded about right. That would have been before Dane's family had been killed by the Kromus as well. Dane had told her some of the stories about her father from before the war; typical rising star, fresh faced and optimistic junior officer minted in peace time looking to do his term of service and move on to civilian life, like so many had.

"Gray Voice was the head of our ensemble, while I was given liaison duties." Now that familiar spark of mischief gleamed in his amber pools. "Truth be told, I wasn't much for just sitting around to wait for orders, so I decided to mingle with other junior staff, and came across your father. That was when I recognized his family name as being that of the exploration pilot who made first contact between our kind and the Terrans."

That sounded a bit familiar from her lessons on Terran history, both on Zebes as a child and in the academy. "Alexis Aran...right? I remember reading a bit about her, but I didn't think that she was directly related to me."

"I don't believe she was." Maru gave a perplexed expression as he scratched the back of his head, ruffling his feathers to get at an itch. "Your family name isn't that common, to my knowledge, but I would imagine she may have simply been some distant cousin." A shrug as he pulled out a rather gnarled feather that was the clear source of his itch. "Better. As I said, his name caught my eye, and we began talking. Your father was surprised I had a well trained grasp of Terran English, and since I had always been more curious about the Terrans, we struck up a friendship that grew over the years from there."

She had a warm smile on her face as she lay back down, pulling her sheets over her. Maru had never talked much about how he'd known her biological father in the past, so to hear him open up so much, to know that they had been friends in the years before she was born, made his assumption of her care more endearing to her. "Why don't you ever talk about him?" When he blinked at her, Samus gave that wordless chirp that had become her little quirk. "My birth-father, you don't really talk much about _him,_ beyond just telling me who he was. Is it because I've always seen you as my father?"

The Chozo sighed. He'd long expected this talk for years, and despite that, he'd also dreaded it for just as long. There was no easy answer. "Samus, understand. I never wished to diminish who your birth-father was, to me as a friend, and to you as his daughter. He was a great man, both as a soldier in a war, and as a person. So yes, because you've always regarded me as your father, it's been hard to speak further about him."

Again, he paused, trying to find the right way to explain it. But it was difficult, because the concept was across the cultures of his species and that of Samus' own birth race. "I'm only aware of this as a matter of learning, since by the time I was born, there were no other hatchlings left. But in times past, when a Chozo hatchling lost their parents at such young ages like you were, or something happened to their parents before they hatched, the Chozo who winged them was to be considered their true parent, and outside of birth lineage, their birth-parents were not often spoken of, out of respect for them as the departed, and in respect for those Chozo who had taken on their burdens as parent." That pause again as he took a breath and ruffled his feathers, the bright orange and yellow patterns fluffing out for a moment. "It is sometimes a conflict of our culture with that I have assimilated from the Terrans, but I never meant to ignore your birth-parents and the role they held in your life. If you feel now that perhaps I was wrong, please forgive me, _Varia._ "

Her head cocked in that peculiar fashion that Maru knew her body had adapted from the Chozo mannerisms. It told him that she held no ill will, but was more curious than anything. And seeing it warmed his twin hearts as it always had. "I know he loved me, I remember that much. Him and my mom...those feelings are what little I can remember." Samus gave a sigh as she sat up again, but now leaning against the head padding she used as a pillow. "The fact that they both died, I assume saving me, says that they would have wanted me happy. And they had no choice in not being here for me, while you have been. So, yeah, you are my father, just as much as he was. None of you is any less important to me." And then she smiled and rolled her eyes a bit in attempt to keep the mood from becoming dour. "Even if he got held over my head at the academy...and most of the guys who grew up with him as their hero all had dick envy."

Now Maru found his brow arcing in surprise. Samus had not been one to use such colorful figures of speech from the Terran vernacular in her past. That she would so now was telling of what she had assimilated as a cadet on Sol-3. "And what, pray tell, do you mean by 'dick envy'?"

A blink of her turquoise eyes. As she realized what she had said, to her father no less, Samus found her cheeks growing warm and her emotions in the range of embarrassment. "Oh gods, did I really just..." She sighed, trying to regain her composure from that rather interesting slip of the tongue. "Um...just a lot of hero worship...maybe I got a little tired of it, especially with some people saying I'd never measure up to him. And, well...Ian liked to make fun of his brother for how much of a pedestal Adam puts my dad on, so...I kind'a picked up on that?"

The response she got was not what she'd been expecting. Instead of disappointment, Maru gave a low chuckle and shook his head. He seemed to understand the phrase better than she'd thought. "Terrans, as I've learned, come up with such interesting figures of speak, including certain acts that are anatomically impossible for the most part. And your birth-father, believe it or not, taught me quite a few that I have thrown as certain members of the Council."

That admission made Samus giggle. "You mean that cunt Shaded Whisper, don't you?"

"Samus, I wasn't even aware we had a comparable word for that in Chozia, nor did I imagine you being that crude."

She went quiet, suddenly realizing maybe she had pushed a line too far with her father. "Sorry...but...I really do not-"

"And yes," the Chozo stated as he shifted into clear and refined Terran English, just to make his point. "She is a, as you said, 'cunt'." That trickster grin on his beak as he saw his daughter light up from his words. "Older than me or not, she is no Elder, and to be honest, she's not even from our Nest, so I don't feel so obligated to give her the respect they command."

"Especially when she's five hundred feet underground on Naraka?"

Again, that grin as he leaned in and touched her forehead with his own. " _Especially_ because of that, Hatchling." A chuckle escaped his throat as he sat up and ruffled the teenage girl's hair with his feathered hand. "You get back to sleep, _Varia_. We'll talk more in the morning, just the two of us." And as he stood up, Maru gave that fatherly smile that he knew was able to comfort her. "I'll tell you more about your father and how this leg of mine happened, and you tell me about Ian, because it sounds indeed like I would have been honored to meet him."

"Okay." Samus gave a happy sigh as Maru picked up his night-lamp and helped settle her properly back into bed before heading for the door of her room. "Good night, papa."

As he reached the doorway, Maru paused at her words. She hadn't used that particular term for him in a long time, not since she was a child. It made him smile, reminding him that despite the separation of species between them, Samus was every bit his daughter, and he her father. It was enough to comfort him that her birth-parents would indeed be happy; their daughter had someone to be there for her, to be the parent they had been denied the chance to be.

"Good night, Little Bird."

And the door slid shut behind him to give her the dark of night again. But this time, it was comforting for her.


	12. Nesting

As the morning rose on Zebes, the pale pink hue of the sky was marred by few clouds while the rising sun shone down on the surface of the Chozodia Plateau. The wildlife of the surface was waking up to its activities, while within the Nest, many were waking to their own tasks and daily life.

Some had already begun their day before the sun of the FS-176 system had made rise over the Plateau, as evidenced by the young human clad in her blue under-armor re-entering the city with a rifle slung over one shoulder and a large quill-covered creature held barely off the ground in the other hand. A few wandering Chozo took pause to look and give raised brows at her brash display of what was clearly a morning hunt, but it was something that helped Samus deal with her morning anxieties and give her something to do other than await training and various lessons.

Besides, she wanted breakfast, and not many animal species on Zebes laid eggs that were very edible.

As she tapped the entry key to Maru's nest, the blonde girl hefted the hard quilled corpse up with not even a grunt and stepped inside once the door slid open. "I'm home!" she called as the door shut behind her. Pulse rifle now set aside, she carried her catch into the kitchen chamber and set it on the shaped cutting table while Maru stared at the sight before him. "Managed to get a clean headshot and killed it instantly, so the venom sacs shouldn't be ruptured."

"The meat should be good then…how long?"

"About half an hour ago." Her gloves were pulled off as she walked over to the wash station and flushed her hands under the water. "It should be good for at least another twenty minutes before those things start breaking down." Her mood was definitely an improvement from the previous day, and she was showing no signs of the nightmares that had plagued her. "I figure some of those fruits I brought back with me, a few b'ga roots for flavor, and we got a nice breakfast for the day."

Even as he was preparing to cut the creature open and recover the usable meats, Maru raised a brow at his daughter. "As well as leftovers for noon and evening meals," he remarked. If she had made as clean a kill as it appeared, they had far more than they needed for the day. "For at least two or three days."

With a grin, Samus was already unsealing her under-armor and opening the front of the top section. "Good. I could use some snacks if I get sent on an overnight survival training set again." Now grabbing a heavy cutting tool from a rack over the wash unit, Samus looked the creature over to find the right spot to split it open. "Zoomers are always tricky though. Sometimes the venom sacs aren't quite where they should be, and if you're off..."

A stabbing motion cracked the cutting tool through the hard spine shell, and as she notice nothing oozing out of the intrusion point, Samus gave herself a satisfied nod and continued opening the Zoomer up. With the split now opening the quilled cadaver like a flower once she had carved it enough, Samus saw the two pale yellow fleshy sacs she'd been concerned about. "Perfect. I just need a minute to separate these things, and we can start carving this thing up to cook."

Maru was already on task as he set a large tray beside her for placing the viable meat on, then was back in the kitchen finding the various fruits and roots vegetables he knew would go well with the planned meal. "Sometimes, I feel you take these morning hunts to get out your anger more than to obtain any food we need." He smiled as she looked up at him upon his observation. "It's healthy, much more than wishing you could aim a concussion missile at Shaded Whisper the next time she comes to the Nest."

"I'm going to actually pull the trigger next time," came Samus' retort as she worked the venom sacs out of the Zoomer and cut the connecting tubes to free them. Satisfied, she set the two sacs in a bowl, and then washed her hands again before returning to cutting the meat free. "If she talks like that about me again, I seriously will blow her little vipered head off."

The Chozo gave a resounding sigh as he continued his own task for preparing the roots for baking with the Zoomer meat. Samus had always had issues with her anger, but her vitriolic rage toward Shaded Whisper was becoming a concern. On the one hand, though not an Elder, Shaded Whisper was a valuable and skilled member of the Brood, and without her talents, Project M would never have gotten were it was so fast. But on the other side...as he had noted the night previous, she wasn't from the Zebes Nest, and Maru realized it was peculiar that the tribe she had claimed to be from hadn't been heard from since well before he had been hatched.

"Save that energy and focus for when you need it," he stated as he began to soak the various roots they would be using in nutrient oil. "Gray Voice never came by to discuss matters of Project M as he promised, so I presume he will be doing so today."

As she finished stripping meat from one section of the Zoomer, Samus paused, her eyes looking up at Maru with a new concern regarding the mentioned Elder. For a moment, she bit her lip, not sure of she should speak her mind. But her father had always expressed she should speak without fear. Now should be no different. "You ever feel that they're not telling you the truth?" the young human asked while setting down the cutting tool. "That it's not just me they don't trust, but you as well?"

The fact he offered no rebuke to those words would have been answer enough. Samus knew that look in his eyes well enough to know he knew she was right. Truth came sometimes, as the human phrase went, "out of the mouth of babes."

"They didn't tell you the truth about what Project M even was until that last council summons." She knew it didn't need to be said, but Samus couldn't help the anger she was feeling on his behalf. "They had you believing it was an energy research endeavor, when it's really some kind of bio-weapon."

His amber pools glanced up from where he had been working. It was pained, but Maru could only give a nod in agreement while finishing the soak of the roots they were to use for breakfast. "They told me it was a project researching bioenergy, in regards to some lifeform on Naraka that was of concern." Another pause as he brought the roots over and set them on the tray with the Zoomer meat Samus had already prepared for cooking. "Loathed as I am to admit...I often am kept in the dark as to much of what the Council plans. The main reason some have not had more sway over your development has been how stubborn I am, and the fact I did declare you my child."

"You mean like cracking my head open and installing neuro-implants in my brain so that I'm tied directly to the powered armor?" The fact she said it so casually meant that Samus had heard someone mention such an addition to her body. "Or modifying me to be bigger and more intimidating? And there's always mental programming to make me more focused and efficient."

"Mother Brain?" It didn't take much to recognize that kind of cruelly pragmatic talk and solutions to perceived problems.

A nod as she slid the tray into the heating unit and set the timer. "She and Shaded Whisper are of one unsound mind, especially when it comes to me." With the food now being cooked, Samus took a moment to unlatch her belt and finish removing the jacket section of her under armor, now letting her bare stomach get some air while adjusting the black active-wear top to be more comfortable. "They can both eat my ass."

"Appreciate the good they do, _Varia_ ," was Maru's quickly snapped off retort. But a moment later, he sighed. Even he didn't buy into those words himself. "Shaded Whisper is put to her best use where she is on Naraka, and Mother Brain manages much in the Nest and the automata we rely on." The Chozo sat down, taking a fruit from the bowl at their dining table, then allowed himself a bite while waiting for Samus to join him. "We can complain and compare grievances about them and the Council later. I believe we agreed to trade stories last night to help ease your troubled heart."

A slow nod as she set the jacket of her under-armor on the back of her seat before dropping into it. "Not opposed to telling you about Ian, meeting his family, the things he had promised to show me when we graduated the academy." She took a piece of fruit herself, biting into it and noticing it was almost soft enough to just suck the juice right out of the pulp. "It was honestly kind'a funny how everything just took off after we both had finished basic training. He came back with his class group, we had a couple days before the start of academic classes, so...he took me out to dinner like he promised."

Again, Maru raised his feathered brow with an amused smile. It was good for Samus to be so much more open with things, especially since he knew how withdrawn she could become. Seeing her happier, talking about this boy who had been her reason to break ties with humanity again, was warming to his twin hearts. "He sounds to have been a very interesting human, _Varia._ And from what you've told me already, very well mannered. I doubt it was mere chance you two ended up as nestmates."

That phrasing, being what Samus knew it meant in more proper Chozo culture, made her blush a bit as she took another bite of the fruit in her hand. "Uh, dorm mates. Just dorm mates, we didn't get anywhere near 'nesting' as roomies at the academy." She was trying to seem embarrassed about that topic, but with a sense sense of awareness that she was still pink, Samus took another bite of her fruit and glanced to the kitchen. "I will admit, despite some Terran culture hang-ups that I still don't get, the staff were surprisingly unconcerned with co-ed dorm pairings. And judging from some of the mess hall talk that I could listen in on, half the class was probably taking advantage of that."

A raised brow, though again, it was Maru's curiosity more than anything; his daughter was again dodging something. "Terrans, I admit, fascinate me in that regard. The culture has always been of a self-conflicting patchwork as far as I know. They're not very homogenous in the development the various civilizations that have risen and fallen over the span of Terran history, but if there is something all human cultures have shared in the histories of Sol-3, it is an innate predilection toward conflict and sexuality." A pause as he continued to eat his own morning snack, and to allow him to gather his thoughts. "I suppose part of my trouble comprehending it is the vast divide between the Chozo culture of now and Terran. To be fair, we once were a warrior empire ourselves, but that was thousands of years ago. And being our kind has gone sterile over the last two millennia, that is also an aspect I sadly find foreign."

"Humans are kind of weird that way." Her head tilted as the low droning signal from the heating unit sounded, and Samus gave Maru a gesture to assure him that she had their morning meal in hand. A moment later, as she pulled the roasting tray out, what had been a pale mass of Zoomer meat before being heated was now multicolored like the prism effect of sunlight after a fresh rain. "Perfect. Managed to avoid any toxin contamination if we got that much of a rainbow color." With the platter of cooked meats and roots set on the stone table, the blonde human handed Maru his customary pick utensil while getting her own fork and knife from the storage drawer. "Anyway...so the attitude at the academy was kind of a 'we don't care what you do as long as it doesn't cause performance issues and you're not actually breeding'." The smirk on her face revealed a bit of her thoughts on that matter, and how amused she was by the oddity of her own birth race. "And there were quite a few high and mighty elitists who thought they could toe that line as far as they wanted, then got a nasty wake up call."

Once again, Maru raised a brow while pulling some of the Zoomer meat from the tray and taking a few bites. The attitude was not exactly one he expected from Samus, even after having been exposed to humans her own age for three years. "If I take that meaning correct, you are shaming them for breeding when they didn't intend to?" When she looked at him with her head cocked, the Chozo sighed. Apparently she knew something about human functions that he didn't. "Hatchling, this is likely one of those obvious biological differences that I'd know better if I were human myself, but should I assume that the act of mating is one of more than just breeding purposes for Terrans?"

Her blue touched emerald eyes blinked in confusion as her head tilted the other way, while her expression revealed Samus was trying to understand the question, and then a more obvious blush in her cheeks as realization dawned on her. "Oooohh...okay, now I get it. You wanna know why...okay. That's sort of an awkward subject, to be fair, and I really didn't understand it all for a while. Somethings just aren't in a biology book."

The amber spheres blinked at her, confused as to why she behaved in a fashion that suggested she was embarrassed for some reason. "Samus, your face is turning red. Is this an uncomfortable subject for you?"

"Whatever gave you that idea?" came the unexpectedly snapped response while she then tried to stuff her mouth with food. She noticed that Maru was still looking expectantly at her for a more proper answer to his question, and her facial shift, her brow arcing in even as she widened her eyes a moment, indicated she was not willing to discuss it. But he wasn't budging. "Look, there are certain nerve clusters tied to the pleasure centers of the brain located in those specific areas. I...learned about them while I was at the academy, basic biology and human sex ed stuff."

An uncomfortable silence was now between them while Maru calmly tool another bite of the roasted Zoomer. He seemed to consider what she had said, his eyes and the way they were seemingly unfocused telling her that he was reflecting on what she _hadn't_ said, and despite how she was acting worried about his reaction, Maru simply shrugged as took another piece of meat from the tray. "I have always been curious as to why Terrans seemed to favor courtship so much beyond the needs of reproducing. Being the last of the Chozo born following almost a standard century of stillborn eggs, I honestly have little knowledge of the rituals of my own kind." A pause as he took the chance to chew his portion before continuing. "Samus, I apologize if it was an awkward subject. I want to understand humans better, and I supposed it can seem odd being your winged father asking. I'll not trouble you those questions again if that's what you want, but I do wish to know more about Ian...And I did promise to tell you more about your birth-father."

The girl looked down a moment, slowly feeling less awkward as she cleared her mind as best she could. "So, no more prying into my more private life?" she asked warily. It was awkward more for the fact it had been her father that had been asking, even unintentionally, about that aspect of her personal life than anything else. The nod he gave her allowed Samus to further relax and take another bite of her meal. "Thank you, papa. I know you're just curious about Terrans, and you don't mean to invade..."

"What you do in your privacy is none of my concern, _Varia_." His beak creased into a soft smile as he took one of the b'ga roots and began to mash it down. "To be fair, better you do explore things, though preferably safely. It's part of learning. And unlike me, you are able to explore these feelings and better understand your birth race. So don't be ashamed, but I respect your privacy, and that you are able to make your own decisions."

The girl felt a faint smile touch her lips as she took the last bits on her plate, then stood and took the platter to the wash unit. "Thank you, papa. It probably goes a little without saying that Ian and I got pretty close during my time there." As she took a deep breath, Samus began washing up and packing away the leftover meat into the kitchen's cold storage unit. "We'd mostly go into Cheyenne on leave weekends, which were twice every month, so it was pretty nice to get away every now and then, pretend I was a normal human girl for a bit."

"Your birth-father." Maru shifted a bit as he finished his own meal, noticing that Samus was giving him a surprised look. She hadn't expected to hear this. "We kept in contact after he and your mother were relocated to the colony, just after you were born. He said that you were anything but normal, even then." The soft corners of his beak creased into a smile as he set his food pick aside and slowly rose to his feet. "He had his special name for you back then, and next to your mother, you were his entire world."

It was the first time Maru had really talked about her biological father. Samus grabbed a chilled water bottle from the cold storage unit before walking back over to the stone table and seating herself. "It's kind of weird in a way, hearing about my birth-father that's not some army lesson on the Kromus War, or one of the instructors gushing about how pivotal he was in the Siege of Krom."

"They're also leaving out his role in preventing our home from being overtaken." Maru gave a wince as he adjusted his standing posture to take his weight off his injured leg. Thinking about when he had been inflicted with the wound was enough to incite the pain more than usual. It was something he knew Samus was all too familiar with in other ways. "Since the attempted invasion by the Kromus is not something that is considered public information in the Federation, that may be a good place to start." He breathed in as he tried to push the pain out of his mind, taking old of his staff in order to help bear his weight off the damaged leg, then smiled again. "It was about five years before you were born. The Kromus attempted to take Zebes, due to the relics and the ancient city here, and your father was one of the few who knew of the planet's significance."

"And your leg? Were you trying to evacuate to safety with the other Chozo, I assume?"

Again, he winced, but Maru had a smile on his beak as he shifted his posture and moved to retake his seat. Once he had gotten off his feet, the Chozo clicked the tips of his beak before resuming his story. "No, I actually was the one Chozo who decided to stand with the Confederation troops and marines who had come to aid us, instead of running and hiding." His voice and expression revealed how much he prided himself on his actions in those times, rather than being reclusive about them. "I was wounded in the assault, but your father pulled me out of the front line and made sure I was taken to safety. It was after the attempted invasion was driven off that John came to visit me, and I gifted him with a Catalyst Blade from the old city, the same one I had used in the fighting."

The weapon was one Samus had heard and seen depictions of. "Those were considered hallowed blades of war by the Ancients, I thought. And Silver Winds told me there aren't many intact or functional ones left."

"That's why gifting it to your father for saving my life was appropriate in my mind." Maru took a moment to grab another piece of fruit before continuing his story. "And interestingly, that Catalyst Blade became just as famous as your father during the war's last years. Since he never told anyone where it had come from, it was a touch of mystery to him for the propaganda channels to play up."

The low chime signaled that someone had arrives and was awaiting entry. His eyes blinking in surprise, Maru held a hand up to signal for Samus to stay in her seat as he took hold of his walking stick and rose to approach the main entry. As he touched the control pad, Maru felt his eyes widen to see Gray Voice standing there. More so, the Elder looked to be bothered by something. "Gray Voice, she's not assigned any training-"

"This is not concerning your daughter or her training." The Elder didn't wait to be invited in, instead making sure Maru knew it was best to step aside before entering of his own accord. He saw Samus still seated, the jacket of her under armor still resting on the back of her chair. "But it may be of concern to her. There's been an incident on Naraka."

That got Maru's eyes wide with concern even as Samus looked to him for answers. They hadn't heard from the project team in months, not since Shaded Whisper had left Zebes to return to her charge. "An accident? Or did these X react differently than expected to the Metroid Bioweapons?"

"Contact was lost two weeks after Shaded Whisper had filed a short report that there was some kind of abnormality in the Metroid Larvas," came the reply as Gray Voice held his hand up in effort to keep too many questions from being thrown at once. "At first, Mother Brain's relays from the Gra'mou laboratories were picking up a series of flares from the primary star and the system's singularity that were causing expected black outs. But when contact never resumed, the Council sent a small team to re-establish communications." The pause was enough to answer the unspoken question, and Gray Voice lowered his head in reverent respect. "They never reported back, nor returned. We have to assume that something has happened on the planet, and that the Gra'mou Nest was wiped out."

His amber pools turned toward his daughter, who was already appearing to be shaking. This was the first either of them had her of such a catastrophe with a Chozo endeavor. They didn't knew nothing of the intended final purpose of the Metroids, but knowing that they were bioweapons meant to combat some kind of parasite life form, and now it was unknown what was actually going on, did not bode well at all. "Even the automatic processes have ceased transmission?"

A nod. "The Council is to meet within the hour to discuss the next step, but I wanted to make you aware of what is going on." A glance to the human girl, and Gray Voice's eyes gleamed a bit. Concern...fear? "They keep you both in the dark enough as it is, but events are coursing to a point that I fear may be unavoidable." Again, his voice was silent, and the elder Chozo gestured for Maru to speak with him alone. As her father glanced to her, but only nodded for the girl to remain where she was, Samus watched the two Chozo moved to a more private corner, their voices low, but she had still trained her senses enough to pick up a few things said between them. Something about her armor, a runabout shuttle, and preparations.

"If this is about me, I think I deserve to-"

"The less you know now," Gray Voice replied before she could finish, "the safer you will be from those we cannot trust." His expression was steeled, but his voice, oddly, was tenderer than it usually was when he spoke to her. Something had changed in the last few days alone, since the attempt at training her to use the Change Sphere. Even back as the council meeting about the Project progress when Shaded Whisper had been on Zebes, Gray Voice had behaved more defensive of her than lecturing. "Young one, you must be ready, even if you do not understand for what." That pause, the brown orbs looking to Maru, then back to Samus. "Many things shall become less clear in the coming days...but trust only those you know you can, and only them."


	13. Hatchling

**2964.299**

There was a heavy _thud_ as the craft settled onto the landing pad as assigned. Some shuffling from the cockpit as the two pilots began shutting down the main engine drives and prepare for their stay. From her seat in the rear cabin, the blonde haired girl was squirming anxiously, looking around with excited wide blue-touched green eyes. She was getting impatient with waiting; she'd been waiting three years for this day.

"Go ahead and unfasten your harness," came the soft voice from the younger adult Chozo tiercel sitting beside her. A moment later, as he helped the girl in getting it of her seat, the male Chozo smiled, his plumage crest of red and yellow feathers fluffing up for a moment. "Come along, little bird, and stay with me."

She held onto the young Chozo's feathered hand as they walked down the landing ramp. She had never been brought along on one of their trade journeys before, since they typically were short and pragmatic affairs, but she had begged Maru for this. She had never been able to leave Zebes since he had adopted her as his daughter, and she hoped to make some friends, even for just a few days. And so, despite Gray Voice expressing his concerns, Maru had brought the six-year-old little girl along with them to a point outside the Sol-Daiban galaxy.

Samus blinked with wonder as she got a glimpse of the world they had come to. Shining towers stretched into the sky, shimmering a greenish tint with reflected sunlight. It looked similar to the pictures she'd seen of Sol-3, where her parents had come from, but the population of the city varied greatly. Most looked similar to humans, but some of them had striped markings on their skin, like patterns of fur on a cat. "They're pretty," she whispered as Maru looked at her and creased his soft beak into a smile. "Are they like Kilrathi?"

"They are called Khagolians," her father replied. Truly, the little girl's curiosity and sense of wonder helped him remember what it was like to see with such innocent eyes. "The original pure blood has long been intermingled with other races, but they are distinct and enduring as a species." Maru gave a gentle chuff of amusement. "The imperial family is of the Khagolian race. Perhaps you might have chance to meet see them while we're here."

A disapproving chuff came from the taller Chozo who bore a squashed beak, hazel eyes, and patterns of silver feathers. "We have business with the Belvederes, Maru. This is not a play date for the human." His eyes narrowed at the girl even as she shied away to hide behind Maru. "You should not have permitted her to come here."

"Gray Voice, my daughter has been alone with us for three years on Zebes. She needs to interact with others, especially other children."

Her attention was drawn by seeing some children go by. They all had such pretty patterns on their skin. Some of them even had elongated ears, like the elfin! They were hybrids, like her!  
"Welcome to Valissia Prime, _Varia_."

The elder Chozo snorted in his fashion, not amused at all with the situation. The rest of the cluster that had come on this task had seen no issue with the human joining them, so long as Maru kept her at her best behavior. But Gray Voice had not been approving of the idea, and still had been insisting she and Maru should remain on their vessel. "This is ill-advised, Maru. I told you to leave her behind on Zebes."

"She's my daughter, and considering the expected length of this trade journey, I'll not leave her in the hands of Mother Brain to be cared for." The tone in the Chozo tiercel's voice was not even subtle in the aggressive opposition to that idea. "She can stay with me, and she will behave herself appropriate for a hatchling of her age."

Gray Voice only huffed in response; he was unconvinced that this would at all not be a disaster. "She must not leave your side, Maru. We don't need a child creating an incident for us, let alone this far from our home galaxy."

As the elder Chozo moved to give orders to several of the others in their groups, Maru only sighed as he held his adopted daughter by the hand and made their way away from the landing pad and to a nearby shuttle that took them upon launch toward the capitol city. It didn't take them long to arrive, and upon disembarking, Maru guided his child into the glimmering metropolis. Despite the bustling crowds, Samus was able to see much of the people and the green lit spires. Her eyes were wide as she tried to take in everything she saw, but it was so much for the child to absorb.

"Take this opportunity to learn much, _Varia._ " Maru smiled as he observed her curiosity and wide eye bewilderment at everything. "Valissia is a very beautiful planet, and rightfully the center of an empire that spans this entire galaxy." A few eyes strayed over them, but less so the Chozo himself and more aimed toward his young companion. It was odd, he realized, for a human child to be in the company of a Chozo. But, he supposed an actual Terran human was quite rare for the Valissians to see on its own.

As they made their way into the Capitol city, Samus kept looking around, amazed at the sights and sounds of this strange and new world. She didn't know much beyond the stone walls of the Nest and what she had been learning there, but to see a planet that wasn't mostly surface wastelands, to see living cities and people actually inhabiting them...

"Do you think that there's anyone here like me, papa?"

It was an unexpected question. Samus had only known life with him and the other Chozo since they had found her crying in the burning remains of the K-2L Terran colony. For her to imagine there was anyone else like her was, curious. But she was a curious child, and to hope she wasn't alone, that there was someone she could relate to, was understandable.

"I'm afraid, my little Hatchling, that you are the only being in the universe whom is like you." Maru gave his daughter a sad smile as they continued to venture into the capitol city. "But you are special because of this. And there will really only be one being like you, because you are you."

The little girl giggled. She held tightly to Maru's talon tipped hand, her head looking to see various new to her eyes species. The sense of wonder she was exhibiting was nothing short of pure innocence, and it reflected in Maru's eyes to see her so alive after all she had been exposed to. It made the young tiercel confident that bringing her along had been the right decision. The best teacher, Maru had learned, was experience itself, and no better experience was there than to see the wonders of the universe first hand.

A pair of children ran by, a species Samus had never seen before; they carried much more pronounced feline features than the Khagolians she had observed earlier. Her eyes went wide as she saw tails swinging about while the pair playfully pounced at each other. "Are those more Kalgonians?"

"Khagolians," Maru corrected as he smiled. It was such a warm feeling to see his adopted child so eager and excited at the things she was seeing. "And no, but they are related as a species. Those are Katal, they're descended from the same ancestral species as the Khagolians, but there was less interspecies breeding introduced to their evolution, so they hold many more of their ancestral traits."

A grin as she watched the two Katal playing with each other. Samus reached to the back of her neck, scratching a bit at the fluffy layer of golden down feathers that had developed and intermixed with the fine blonde hairs on the back of her neck. "Do you think they would let me play?" she asked as she looked up at her Chozo father. "Or do you think they won't want a hybrid like me to play with them?"

"It is best we keep to observing for now, Little Bird," he stated while leading her along. His expression revealed some worry, but he smiled still. "We'll be here for some time as Gray Voice and Azure Wings handle trade negotiations with the Imperial courts, so you should get a chance to make some friends during our stay."

She giggled as they traveled further into the city, approaching the general market district and allowing Samus to see the massive pool of races that called Valissia Prime home. It was almost overwhelming to see all the species at once, as she had known only her own native Terran race and the Chozo for most of her life. "Is the rest of the universe this pretty?" the girl asked, her eyes trying to take in everything before them. "Home has nothing like this, papa."

A nod as Maru noted the wonder in her daughter's eyes. To make sure such curiosity and desire to explore stayed alive in her was a feat with the harshness of Zebes, but this journey had taught them both much so far. He had come so far as her father, even with never knowing his own. Small favors, the tiercel reflected to himself. They could learn life together.

* * *

 **2969.159**

 **The Nest**  
 **Chozodia Plateau, Zebes  
**

Storms on Zebes were not a rarity. The rains that were shed by the frequent weather occurrences varied between harsh acid rain and mild waters. As such, when the Brood had constructed their home on the planet outside the protection of the ancient city of their ancestors, they had burrowed into the mountains, using the natural resistance of the ores and rock to shield their new city. View points were blasted out and filled with clear windows so that natural sunlight could filter into the artificial cavern and allow the inhabitants to look out at the surface, to appreciate better the natural world.

And as she sat in an observation chamber adjacent to the nest housing unit she shared with her adopted father, Samus sighed, looking out the tempered glass viewport to watch the splattering of rain outside on the surface of the Chozodia Plateau. She'd been studying the historical records of the galaxy earlier, as maintained by the Chozo, and a smattering of history from Sol-3, her own ancestral homeworld. She'd already been over advanced mathematics and basic physics with Platinum Chest, as well as geological sciences. And they never failed to make sure that she studied Terran culture and literature, Silver Winds had been very adamant on that. Despite the time since she had been taken in by Maru as his proclaimed daughter, those Chozo who were a capable of compassion had made a point that she should know about the species of her ancestry.

But at ten years old, Samus was deciding that she was never going back to her own people, nor did she want to. Yet all these studies were wearing on her, reminding her, sometimes painfully, that she was just one child amongst the ancient Bird People, and not one of them. And she wasn't so sure that some of them didn't see her as even less than that. One of the Chozo who had been working out at a project on Naraka, Shaded Whisper, had been talking to Maru about her, something about eggs, unnecessary parts, and "inconvenient biology".

And whatever it had all been about, it had set Maru off into a fury. Shaded Whisper hadn't been back to the Zebes nest since. But there had been a change in her routine for a week after that. Another set of infusion treatments, even though she'd been more than adapted and augmented since she was six, and even Gray Voice had said the infusions were a surprising success. When she had asked Maru what the new treatments were for...all he had said was "for the future."

And it had raised questions with the elders as to what he was doing. When she asked, again..."for the future."

A rumble of thunder startled Samus out of her thoughts. She returned to her studies and the various data tablets in front of her, this one regarding basic human biology. The Chozo had an extensive library of such information, having watched humans and for centuries prior to urging the Galactic Federation to bring the Terran Confederation into the fold not long after the violent Confed-Kilrathi war that carried through most of the 2600s, and the Machine War consumed the 2700s . Maru had decided it was time to include some of that information as part of her studies. So far, it wasn't making a lot of sense. Samus understood some of it, but she also didn't understand what the point was, since she was never going to be around Terrans again. Knowing their biological make-up was just superfluous.

"Puberty," she muttered from the text aloud as she began playing with the single thick braid she'd woven her hair into. "Stage of development in young humans where their bodies-"

That cramp again. She'd been dealing with it on and off all day. She wiggled in her seat, trying to stretch the muscles out like Maru taught her. It wasn't really working though, and the pain was getting sharper, like a stabbing sensation right below her stomach. Maybe she'd pulled something during her training the last few days, but that didn't quite explain it.

A sigh, and returning to her studies as she tried to ignore the prolonged painful cramps. After a few minutes, she felt something warm even as a sharp stabbing shot through her lower stomach. Samus winced while pushing a hand against her abdomen, then looked down to see a growing dark red stain on her pristine white jumpsuit.

Her eyes went wide as she recognized that color. Blood.

" _Papa!_ "

* * *

With a sigh, Maru ran his feathered hand over Samus' head, gently stroking her hair as he often did when she panicked or woke from her nightmares. This time, it was to reassure her in a time of confusion and fright at something she didn't understand, nor did most of his kind.

But he did to a degree. And he wasn't stupid. He'd expected this one day would happen, and he had tried to be ready. But life always happened when you did not expect it.

"Papa..." She was whimpering in pain again. "It hurts."

He had a hushed sound, trying to calm her. "I know, little one. It's going to be alright. Nothing is wrong with you at all, this is normal for humans."

Her blue-green eyes looked at him for answers, desperate to understand. He gave that caring sigh as he took her left hand in his feathered fingers. Maru smiled softly to the girl, as tender as he knew her birth-father would have tried to be. "Samus, what's happening is nothing be afraid of. Had you been reading the books on human biology as I instructed?" A nod. Good. "Have you read the section about what humans call 'puberty' yet?"

"I was just starting to read it when those cramps came back, and then the bleeding."

Prophetic timing. Maru sighed as he blinked at her, thankful he'd had the sense to study human development for this very reason. "I cannot give many in-depth explanations, as I am neither human, nor female, and our own females laid eggs to hatch our young. But what I can explain is that humans go through a period of transitional changes from childhood to adult. This event is one of the signs that you are developing to maturity, and has to do with your reproductive system and your species' own eggs as you develop."

"Is this what Shaded Whisper was talking about the other day that got you angry?"

Feathers fluffed at the mention of that name. Maru's eyes narrowed as he tried to stay gentle, but he clearly was bothered by recalling the referenced conversation. The subject and "solution" he had been approached with had not been pleasant. "We will discuss that when you're older, Hatchling." His voice strained not to take his anger out on the child; she had right and reason to ask questions. But some things were for later, when she would better understand. "For now though...you're growing up. Not so much a fledgling child anymore, but not an adult yet, and there is much to learn."

She clutched him, holding his warm chest tight as she whimpered again. Maru chuffed his chest and stroked her hair, trying to calm the human girl before standing to get her new attire. Though she had been helped in cleaning up and was clad in a simple robe now, Samus would need something to help this during the length of the event. The Chozo knew he needed to gather more information to help them both through this, though his initial thoughts were to have some kind of absorbent pad brought for her. For now, yes. Something simple such as that would help her. Certainly, he could make further arrangements as they sorted things out together as the family they were. "We should start giving you more variety in your wardrobe, I think." Maru gave a soft smile as the girl looked over at him, even as he brought her a fresh new white jumpsuit and clean undershorts. "Encourage your individuality. Some more color, I feel you deserve. Any in particular you prefer, little _Varia_?"

He always called her that when he wanted to emphasize that she was his daughter, not just a child he was caretaking. It made her smile, despite the pain and embarrassment she had endured today. "I like blue," she said as she rocked a bit in her seat, legs pressed together. "Like a sky blue, from the pictures of Terra."

His brow arced, but Maru was amused by her choice. It was a color that complimented her, and an apt choice considering it's association with Chozo culture. "I should be able to arrange something," the Chozo mused as he handed her the bundle of clothing. "Go get changed, and we'll go into the data servers to find some designs for you."

A nod and a giggle, and Samus happily took the proffered bundle and hurried to her room to get changed. It made Maru feel a gentle warmth in both of his hearts as he watched her, his eyes glistening with the start of tears. He suspected he was feeling the mixture of pride and sorrow a father would experience at seeing their child growing up, and begin becoming an adult. It meant she would be ready to find her place, but he knew he wasn't ready to see that so quickly. He never had suspected it would begin so soon. But she was his daughter, in all but one sense of the term. She shared his blood, she carried his legacy, and he had raised her with all his love since she was little more than a baby.

And he had done all this in respect for a lost friend, but it had become so much more.

The girl had come back out as Maru was preparing dinner for them, her face beaming again and her tears from her fright at not understanding wiped away. "Is Silver Winds going to join us and continue my lessons today?"

"Tomorrow, _Varia_." His beak creased with the soft smile as he made his way preparing their meal. "You have had enough excitement for one day, and rest would be advised for you. I have some things I will need to look into as well for you in the coming days."

A nod from the girl as she sat at the carved stone table and took hold of the smaller set of eating picks that had been crafted specifically for her hands. She was brighter in her demeanor now, a faint smile in her lips while her emerald eyes gleamed with the touch of sapphire blue as she eagerly waited for dinner to be set before her. The young Chozo always had a way of making a meal that made her feel like she was on top of the world, even in her worst moments. "We're always going to have each other, right Papa?"

The tiercel blinked in surprise as he was bringing the tray of meats and vegetable roots over to the table. He never expected a question like that, nor was he sure he had a ready answer. "Why would you ever question that, little one? I made your birth-parents a promise when I named you my daughter, and I don't expect to go anywhere any time soon." Maru gave that creased smile as he set the tray down for her to grab her fill. The way she excitedly pulled portions of the meat free and picked up a pair of b'ga roots always warmed his twin hearts.

"Just making sure."


	14. The Harbinger

**2976.200**  
 **TCS** _ **Concordia**_ **, Ne'kur System**

The night cycle was quiet, and the system being traversed by the Confederation task force was a secured one, devoid of Kromus activities. Considering the enclave they had just flushed out two weeks prior, a reprieve was welcome for the crew and the ship's commander. The _Concordia_ herself was minimally active, with the bridge staff more relaxed than they had been for some time since the launch of their ship and their escorts.

Most of the primary crew was on sleep cycles, including the ship's captain, though he was finding it to be a restless night as he was still awake, distracting himself with reviewing the combat action reports before preparing to file them with both Confederation military command and with the Federation. Most of it was much of the same; reports of a Kromus nest, investigations conducted, and either policing actions taken, or it turned it to be a false flag. The trouble at this point wasn't handling the times the reports were true; it was time wasted on the false alarms.

But Commander Malkovich hadn't been ignorant enough to not notice a pattern emerging. He still tracked the combat encounters against the reported sightings and rumored pirate nests, and there was definitely a coordinated movement appearing. The primary sub-space routes that intersected in the various systems all seemed to be leading to one point, but where was the question he had yet to answer.

" _Commander, your presence is requested on the bridge, there's something you need to see._ "

A sigh as he set down the data tablet and his stylus pen. The last few reports would have to wait. Despite that, part of him welcomed the break and excuse to get out of his quarters. His eyes took a moment to adjust as he stepped out into the bright corridor, now heading for the main lift at the Terran time cycle of two in the morning. He'd need to grab a stim-caff on the way back if he was going to get the paperwork from the last two weeks processed, but Adam was used to such nights these days.

He'd need to make time to record something to send back to his family so they knew he was alright as well.

Once he had reached the lift, it was a matter of minutes to the main bridge. A few members of the general crew saluted as he went by, something he was still getting used to as a ship's commanding officer. And as Adam paused before reaching the doors to the bridge, he took a deep breath. His forte was still combat operations, and even then, it was policing actions. The last few months in command of a ship had been...an experience for sure.

With a self-assurance that it would likely be more reports of scattered Kromus infighting or small raids, Malkovich straightened the bottom hem of his uniform jacket and stepped thought the now opening doors. "Evening, everyone…or morning."

"Morning, sir." That was the night shift helm, one Ensign Khan. "Lieutenant Archer is reviewing an SOS we received while nav-com preps our jump coordinates, but she wanted to get your call before we responded."

A nod as he walked over to the main communications station where his second in command was hunched over with an ear piece in one ear whole she looked to the com-officer with concern. She seemed bothered by something. "You found something, Lieutenant?"

Ear piece slipped out and held out to him, the caramel toned woman nodded. "Comms picked up the SOS about an hour ago, but we had trouble cleaning it up and verifying the source coordinates." Archer waited as the commander listened carefully to the repeated message, waiting for his reaction to gauge what he thought. "We can be there in one jump to the Antares System, but it sounds like they're running into Kromus raiders...possibly some heavy hitters."

There was a small nod as he continued to listen, then pulled the ear piece off as he sighed. "Follow through and get us there, lieutenant. That's definitely Kromus raiders they're identifying. Sound the wake-up, combat stations ready and shields at full as soon as we make the jump."

"Aye, sir." There was a moment as Archer picked up a small microphone unit from the console and tapped a switch to patch her through to all major decks of the ship. "Attention. All hands to combat stations and prepare for jump, this is not a drill. I repeat, all hands to combat stations and prepare for sub-space jump, this is not a drill. We're are t-minus ten minutes and counting."

"I want First Sergeant Houston up here before we make jump," came Malkovich's order as he walked back over to the main entryway. "If we have to board and recover, we need Platoon Nine prepped and ready to go."

"Where are you headed while we ready for jump, sir?"

"To get a stim-caff and some proper coffee." Malkovich gave a wry smile as he passed through the main entry and made way back down the main corridor. There should still be a station operating with what he needed, and maybe even something to eat before they made the jump to Illeana.

Such a still active refresher station was nearby, thankfully, allowing him to get both the items he wanted and head back to oversee preparations for the system jump. It was as he was sipping on the mug of coffee that he felt the sudden lurch of the ship rapidly changing course. Something wasn't right. That felt like a shift of gravity mass, which would indicate they had been displaced by something _big_.

With a final gulp of said coffee before hurrying back to the bridge, Adam witnessed not just the expected chaos, but also the sight of something massive passing by them on the view screens. "Do they even see us?! Where did that thing come from?!"

"Vessel emerged from the jump point while we were running calculations, sir!" Archer was quick to reply as she and the rest of the bridge tried to determine what was going on. "There's some debris that came with it, but we haven't been able to-"

"Unknown vessel is coming about, commander!"

That answered their presence being detected by whatever that thing was. "Shields up, all crew to combat stations!" Redundant, but the instinct and reflex still had the better of him. "Emergency jump for all ships now! Cover the battle group and then get us into the jump once they're clear!"

A heavy _thud_ and lurch alerted them to the oncoming assault as the first rounds from the unknown ship slammed into the still generating shield barriers of the _Concordia_. Another series of impacts caused further shudders, each one growing in power as the ship's barriers faltered even as they were trying to form.

And then the flare of the ships in their task force beginning to enter the jump point. Half of their numbers already crossed, giving Malkovich some assurance even as he grabbed hold of the nearby console to steady himself. That was the impact of weapons fire hitting armor plating. "How much longer until the battle group is clear?!"

"Just the _McKinney_ and the _Tarawa,_ and we're clear!"

Another glare that signaled another ship made the jump. They were taking a pounding for being caught unaware, and with all defensive barriers down. "Heat up the drives, and make the jump as soon as the _McKinney_ is through!" Another jarring impact, and now the alerts of severe hull damage. Whatever that ship was, it had been expecting them. More jarring impacts, this time almost throwing him and Archer off their feet. "Those were hardpoints...they're firing concussives at us."

Another set of impacts just as the last ship made the jump and vanished in the blue-white flare. " _McKinney_ is away! Setting course for the jump!"

That horrifying jolt again, this time setting off further alerts as the hull was announced to be in danger of breach. The counter to jump had seconds remaining, and even as a salvo was launched their way, the _Concordia_ flickered and flared as the gravitational point in time and space tore open and engulfed the Terran carrier, send it tearing across the vast expanse and emerging within visual range of the rest of the task force. But it was still tense seconds of held breaths as the fear of being chased back through the jump point overtook the crew.

"Minovski particles are normal," came a report as they slowly became sure that the mysterious hostile vessel hadn't followed them. "Jump point is quiet, sir. Looks like we're clear."

"Commander..."

It took Adam a moment to realize something was wrong. They were in the Antares System, but instead of the ship in trouble they had expected to find, there was only a field of debris floating about the jump point. "Was that thing the Kromus ship they had been calling for help about?" he whispered under his breath. Judging from the amount of debris they were picking up, whatever had happened had been total.

"Comms are still picking up black box signals." The one spot of good news, morbid as it was. "IDs broadcast are civilian ships, registry information reads as having come through here from McAuliffe."

Not even military vessels, but civilians barely able to defend themselves. Even the sorties they'd resolved the past few months hadn't been anything like this. Those has be attempts at pillaging, cargo thefts, and general piracy. This...was wanton destruction simpley for the sake of such. "Start salvage and recovery operations." The orders were painful to give, but they were necessary. "We need to know what happened...and what the hell that ship was."

It took the recovery teams almost two hours to track and salvage the various black box recorders from the debris field. It was something none of them relished; the bodies of the dead were still floating out there, awaiting their turn to be gathered and given final respects. But finding out why they had died was the first step.

It was once all the flight recorders were in hand that Adam sent the recovery teams out for their more grizzly duty. While they recovered the bodies for identification and internment, he and his bridge had the task of recovering the data that could be salvaged and piece together what happened. "Pull our visual records as well," the commander stated as he broke the seal on a tube pack of stim-caff. The lack of sleep was wearing on him again. "If we can match this thing against known Kromus capital ships, that can give us some answers."

The communications officer nodded as he worked at pulling the recorder files, but it was Lieutenant Archer who had a concerned expression on her face as she gave Adam that knit brow and worried eyes. "Commander, the last known Kromus capital ship of that kind of size on any record is the _Cunning Death_ , and it hasn't been seen since the Siege of Krom almost eighteen years ago."

"That's why I need to make sure." It wasn't just worry in the commander's voice now; it was fear. More than anyone on this ship, he had studied the Kromus War, the horrors suffered because of the Pirates of Krom, and more importantly, the vicious and incomprehensibly evil creature who had led them. "If they've taken control of a shipyard capable of producing capital ships again, we need to know. The last thing we need is a revived Kromus War after the damage they did last time."

"Not like we have another John Aran around to play Captain Confed this time."

His features darkened. If not for the seriousness of the situation, or the fact he personally knew said war hero's living child, Adam may have let the off-hand humor go. "That's a matter of debate," he mused as the visual recordings began to play. It took a minute for them to shift through the displayed video playback, but they soon enough reached the time point that matched when their communications picked up the SOS was found. "Alright, pull up the other three recorders and have the computer calculate renders to give us an idea of what this thing looks like."

It took several minutes for the system to compile and render the models. That left Adam with some time to review their own data and see what he could of this mysterious hostile vessel. It had been huge, very obviously bigger than the _Concordia_ herself, and had several sharpened points to it where turret emplacements could be seen. Very similar to old Kromus design construction during the war. Such was feeding a growing concern over the identity of their attacker.

"Computer models are ready, Commander. I think you need to see this."

The tone alone of Archer's voice gave him reason to hesitate before closing out the data playback. As he stood to rejoin his second-in-command and the comm officer, Adam took a deep breath and readied himself for what he knew was coming. "We have any matches?" the commander asked, even knowing the answer to his own question.

A solemn nod was Lieutenant Archer's response. Her expression was stoic, but her face was pale, telling much more than she wanted to say. "One unique match," she finally said in response to the rhetorical inquiry. "Sir, we need to inform fleet command and the GFP of this. There's no question of what that ship is."

He already knew, yet the slim hope had been that this was some unknown new vessel type. But even as Adam reached the communications station again, he already could see the bold type text displaying the identified match. A ship that had been thought destroyed since the end of the Kromus War almost two decades prior, and was infamous in more ways than simply its name.

And Archer's words struck a cord of unspoken fear that made Malkovich pale. The commander of that infamous vessel had been known for defying death and defeat right up until the Siege of Krom. If the Kromus had recovered their flagship, then they may have very well begun rebuilding their fleets in a capacity unseen in the squabbling factions since the war's end. "Contact ConFleet command and notify Admiral Nagawa ASAP, and relay this data to Chief Hardy and Chairman Kea'ton at Federation headquarters as well. Attach our own action data to confirm our encounter, then put utn a priority hyperburst to Terra and Daiban. As soon as we finish recovery operations, get us the hell out of here and on the way back to Sol System."

"Back to Sol, sir?"

A nod as Malkovich tried to keep his composure. "There is a good chance that the Kromus may turn back around and try to backtrack after us once they realize we have visual record. And considering that ship has been assumed destroyed for almost two decades, they're not going to want to lose their anonymity so soon."

"Minovski particle surge, commander!"

They were coming back, and through the only accessible jump point in immediate range. "All shields up, combat stations ready and weapons hot! All ships, make way for the Ghorah Khar jump point," came the desperate order. "If we can get to Kilrathi space, even the Pirates aren't stupid enough to chase us into their territory."

Commands were relayed even as the _Concordia_ itself fired the main sublight engines and pushed the two and a half kilometer long vessel into the direction of the plotted gravitational point. The rest of their battle convoy followed suit as rapidly as the battlewagons and corvettes were capable of making way. It was enough to put some distance between them and the remains of the debris field as the brilliant flare of a ship crossing through the jump point could be seen, and the massive hostile vessel emerged from the folded rift in space-time. With the distance and the arrival of the Kromus craft having been expected, the entire task force had all eyes on the Pirates, allowing for it to be recognized as a massive blade-shaped vessel over six kilometers in length that was covered in oddly angled and asymmetrical positioned claw-like extensions from the main hull.

"The _Cunning Death_." Those words were whispered in a horrified tone by Archer, no doubt reflecting the thoughts and reactions of most of the crew on the _Concordia,_ if not the entire task force. Most of them had never seen the dreaded vessel before outside of archive footage and data, but the fear it still could instill was undeniable. "Commander, that thing is huge, how the hell did the Kromus ever build something like it?"

"Focus on us getting the hell out of here, then we ask questions." As harsh as it was to think that way, survival was paramount to their situation. The Pirate super-ship had already taken out several civilian vessels and been able to give the _Concordia_ a solid hit across the bow before their last escape. The history and reputation behind the name of the _Cunning Death_ was something no one wanted to risk verifying. "I want fighter crews ready in case of a sortie, but keep the task force ahead of us, our shields can take the abuse better than theirs can."

The first volley was already flickering from the main weapons of the pursuing vessel, but the Confederation battle group had enough distance between them and it to avoid any direct hits. A few ballistic missiles were launched, and despite being shot down as soon as they were in range of the _Concordia's_ point defenses, the concern was heavy on the bridge. The pirate vessel didn't even seeming like it was trying to catch them or make more than a half-hearted effort. Why? This ship was known for causing some of the most devastating fleet losses during the war, yet it wasn't at all behaving in a fashion that indicated its commander wanted its prey dead.

"Battle group is making way into the Ghorah Khar jump, the _Tiger's Claw_ and the _Herriman_ have already made transit, with _McKinney, Tawara,_ and the _Dawn's Reach_ about to make the jump."

"Drives hot, then." Malkovich knew the maneuver was dangerous, running at full speed into the jump point and hoping the field enveloped them before they hit the gravitational point. Too fast, and they could overshoot without ever opening the transit, but the wrong amount of speed if they did open the jump could also result in a fatal misfire and send half the ship into the jump while the other half stayed behind. But it was a calculated risk, one that was still maintained as an emergency action in this very kind of situation. "Distance to jump, helm?"

"Ten kilometers and closing!" The announcement came even as the last three ships of their escorts made the flash into the jump point, leaving the _Concordia_ once more as the last to go. "Drives are hot and ready, engineering left the gas on just in case, sir!" A pair of thuds, followed by a shuddering as the jump drives began their work of tapping into the gravitational threads to open the rift. It was similar to their earlier encounter, except this time, they had an idea of what they were facing and trying to run from.

"The rest of the battle group has made jump, sir! It's just us, now!"

The Kromus dreadnought was closing on them bit by bit, but as the distance to the jump point closes, it suddenly veered away and ended the long range assault. Moments later, even as the _Concordia_ was ready to make the jump, the massive dreadnought flickered, was visually distorted by ripples in space, then suddenly streaked into the starscape as if by some unknown force.

And the _Concordia_ displayed its own flicker and shimmer just before the folding rift tore open and swallowed the ship into the raging hole in space-time. Time had little meaning in that instant as the fold in space spat the carrier out into the expected star system where the rest of its battle group awaited, along with a number of vessels that the Confederation crew knew to be the local system defense group.

"Transmission from Ghorah Khar home guard," the comm station reported with the sound of relief in his voice. "Shintahr Mekra _nar_ Qarg sends his greetings, but wishes we'd called first before coming by for a visit."

At least they had a good sense of humor about the situation. And considering the data he had to share with the Kilrathi about their encounter, it would likely more than make up for entering the system, unannounced. "Get the combat report ready for me so we alert ConFleet and Daiban. I've got to have a meeting with the Kilrathi about this little visit, and they're not going to like what they're about to hear."


	15. False Calm

**2976.216**

 **The Nest  
** **Chozodia Plateau, Zebes**

The alarm tone of the holographic chronometer at her bedside stand began to beep, a soft tone intended to allow an easy wake up so that the mind and body could rise to the day in synch, without remaining exhaustion from the night's rest. It was a method used by many of the Brood, most of whom also started their days with early meditations to clear their minds and prepare for their tasks.

For the human teenager who regularly struggled merely to sleep without dreams, nothing could prevent the morning fog in her mind. She opened her eyes slowly to the filtered yellow white light of Zebes' yellow dwarf star. Few of the residence nests had access to a real viewport that allowed one to see the sunrise. It was a perk of Maru being the last of his kind, and her being his adopted daughter; small comforts were not denied them.

With a sigh, Samus slowly sat up in her bed, rubbing her bleary blue-green eyes and trying to clear the brain fog. If she was lucky, she'd have time to fix some of the leftovers from her catch the other day for a morning meal before she got into her studies too much. As far as she knew, Gray Voice hadn't arranged any further training of his design for the next few days, which left her with time to focus on her less combat orientated lessons, especially those she wanted to learn about.

"Small favors," she whispered as she pulled back the sheets and stood up. A moment to stretch her back out from the restless night, then a few steps to her closet and pulling out a dark blue jumpsuit for the day and a simple utility belt. Once her clothes were changed and her boots pulled on her feet, the blonde made her way from her room and into the main living area, where she could smell the very food she'd been planning to fix already in the oven unit. That meant Maru was already up and acting fully on his fatherly instincts to make sure she ate. Not that she could complain. "I hope I didn't end up having any sleep issues that kept you up?"

"My day already needed to start early." A faint smile was on his beak as he went about fixing their morning meal. A pair of plate trays were loaded up with food before he brought them over and set one down for Samus, then took a seat and began eating his own portions. "If I recall correctly, _Varia_ , your hatch-day is soon?"

An odd start of conversation, she mentally noted as she raised her brow to the adult tiercel. "Humans say birthday, but yeah. August sixth, two hundred and eighteenth day of the Terran standard calendar." A pause as Samus took a bit of her mashed roots and pondered for a moment over why her father had broached the subject. Admittedly, before she had gone back to Confederation space, she hadn't known when her birthday was for sure; only that she had been three years old when she had been rescued by Maru from the ruins of her previous home. "I turn eighteen in a couple days. Not that big a deal, really. Save maybe that I could legally get a beer in Wyoming instead of sneaking it."

That particular feathered brow rose at the comment Samus made, partially curiosity, partially parental concern. "I've been a bit out of touch with human customs since your birth-father died, but, what would require you to be duplicitous in such a consumption? Is not sixteen the general age of majority for Terrans?"

It took a moment, then realization that she had implicated itself in some not so ideal actions with her statement. "Um...Partly. Some regional governments on Sol-3 have different ages of legality for different things. Like, in the European regions and most of the planet, sixteen is the full age of majority, but in the North American Republic, which Wyoming is part of, they still put alcohol drinking age a couple years more than the federal majority age, it's an old legal tradition since the twentieth century."

Again, that brow, though this time more in concern. "And how many times had you ignored said legal standing because you felt like you were an exception to human laws?"

Now she froze a bit, her mind realizing what she had admitted to in a roundabout way. Not exactly the kind of discussion she wanted to have with her father two days before her birthday. Especially when he held, figuratively, the 'keys to her ride'. "Um...maybe...once or twice." That look of parental doubt of her honesty glared at her from his amber spheres. He had been learning not to trust her first claims ever since she had come home from the academy on Terra. "A year." More of that disappointment emanated from his eyes. He _knew_. "A...month."

"You seem to have picked up quite a few unbecoming habits that I'm not appreciating from your time around others of your age, _Varia_." That disappointment which had been in his eyes now all but dripped from his voice. "I thought better of you than to try and hide the truth from me, even if it wasn't a desirable truth."

The blonde hadn't even gotten through the forkful of food in her hand before she suddenly felt a pit in her stomach and the loss of any appetite. The worst thing was that she knew he was right, and he had raised her better than how she was acting. "Some things that happened on Terra, I probably shouldn't be proud of, father. It's behind me in the past, so, I'd rather not talk about some of it."

"It doesn't change that you tried to cover the truth about something I might otherwise not have considered an issue." He was more than just disappointed in her, and she didn't need to see that look in his eyes to know it. "Samus, I know you wanted to fit in with your own species. And I know full well that adolescents do many things in the name of rebellion and curiosity that may or may not have the best thought behind it. It's not an exclusively Terran trait."

She still was silent. More than anything, Maru knew a brooding youth when he saw one, and for someone like his daughter, who was already stuck between worlds figuratively and literally, it was likely even harder. The fact she still seemed held back by events during her time on the origin world of her species told him much of what she wasn't saying. " _Varia_ , I understand things being what they are, that you grew up with what remains of Chozo culture for so long before trying to return to your birth-species, puts you sometimes as confused, excited, and even frightened. But you know that no matter what, you can be honest to me, and I will not be upset by the truth." That brow and expression of regret again as he took a careful sip of his tea. "It's trying to hide the truth and lying to me, Hatchling, which disappoints me more than any mistakes you may have made."

It was a long silence, but Samus at least nodded her response, knowing she had not exactly lived up to how the Chozo tiercel had raised her. Eagerness to fit in with other humans her age, she knew, had been one of her problematic flaws, and the fact that there had been no children at all for her to interact with when growing up, while not her fault, had not given her the best preparation for what she had encountered in making such a drastic and sudden change in her life. Gray Voice had warned her that going back to Terran civilization would cause her problems, and perhaps Maru had silently agreed even as he had asked if she was sure it was what she wanted.

But her father had still supported her, even if he hadn't agreed with her. And she had learned a great deal on Terra, as well as made some bonds with other humans. But it hadn't been something that ended up working, either because of her lifetime thus far being raised more as a Chozo than as a human, or the fact that, no matter what, she was never going to be like anyone else. She didn't need the small baby feathers she would grow and molt in cycles to know that.

"There are things I won't pry into, because everyone deserves some personal secrets between them and others they share those moments with." Maru was picking up his own plate and taking it back to the wash unit, having already finished his morning meal while she had clearly lost her appetite. "I just ask that in what you do share with me, you be honest, and if I ask something that you are not comfortable relating, you say as much."

"I more had trouble from getting into fights than sneaking drinks behind staff's backs, to be honest." Blue-green eyes shifting uncomfortably, the blonde human still forced herself to make this much of a confession to her adoptive parent. Better to come clean on some matters. "Admiral Dane was called in probably two or three times because of my anger management issues, and they would put me on more medications every time to try and take the edge off me."

The Chozo blinked at her, having been on his way back into the main living area of their nest home. The admission wasn't something he'd expected, though the information itself didn't surprise him. He knew far too well how much of an issue Samus' temper could be, and her moments of rage taking over. "So the Winters girl you told me about wasn't the only incident of you losing memory and awareness during one of your rage episodes?" The shake of her head was not a surprise, nor was the look of guilt she had. Considering her outbursts when frustrated by the Elders on Zebes, not to mention her often stated desire, whether true or just venting, to fire one of her suit's concussive missiles at Shaded Whisper, the fact of Samus having even less control when not in his care and oversight did not surprise him. "Truth be told, it doesn't surprise me as humans have always shown less restraint in saying things they would be better off not, and without consideration for the consequences of what someone else might do because they, as the Terran phrase goes, 'ran their mouths off'."

Despite herself, Samus found a faint smirk tugging at the corner of her lips. "I think I best save this for when I have an appetite again," she noted as she stood up and took her plate into the cold storage unit. After a moment, having set her food inside, she grabbed a prepped water bottle and popped the dispenser end to get a bit of a drink for herself. "So, what's the schedule like for today? More combat drills out in the Byzion Canyons?"

"Truthfully, I feel you need a break from the training and combat drills." Maru noted that she appeared further confused at his statement. "Your birthday, as you noted, is in two days. Tend to your culture and physics studies today, but there will be no combat training for the next few days."

Small favors indeed. It was then that Samus realized that the containment chamber that held and charged her Powered Suit when it was not in use was missing. It had been situated at the back of the main living chamber, but no trace of it remained. "Did Silver Winds make you move my Suit back to the Hall of Elders?"

"I have some work to do on a few issues I found in last night's diagnostic report." The response was casual enough, but the fact that Maru stated _he_ had work to do, and the entire chamber had been moved... "It shouldn't take long, just part of why you have no combat drills for the time being."

Something else was the reason, she could sense; he wasn't telling her something now. Almost hypocritical after the lecture shed received. "Wouldn't having Mother Brain do the adjustments be more effective?" Another sip from her water bottle before heading out of the kitchen unit and heading for the stairs that led to their library. "She constructed it with the micro foundries down in Tourian, she'd know best what to do."

It was not his response that clued her in, but a lack thereof, which told her that something was amiss. The fact he looked at her with an expression that could only be described as worry, even as she had paused on the stairwell, was enough to know; something wasn't right.

"She may have supervised the automated foundries in putting the sum together," the tiercel finally spoke as he gave a blink to the human girl, "but I designed it, and designated all its intended functions and components. If something is not as it should be, I trust myself." Maru sighed heavily. It was as if he had the weight of worlds on his shoulders, yet he was trying not to reveal what that burden did to him. "Get to your studies, Hatchling. I have much work ahead of me, and I should not hold you up."

Her own curiosity was piqued even as Maru made his way through the main living area and out of their home. Instincts made her want to follow, though her gut told her she would possibly have more trouble if she attempted being that clandestine. Besides, she had things she needed to do. So, shoving down her pride, Samus continued up the stairwell, only to stop as she heard the discernible sound of a speeder leaving. Her feet nearly stumbled over each other as she reversed direction and raced to the main entry. Just in time, no less, to see her adopted father leaving in the very speeder she had heard, heading off into the industrial section of the Nest.

What was he up to that he didn't want her to know about? It wasn't like him to keep something hidden from her, of all beings. Admittedly, she hadn't exactly been acting like someone he had made efforts to raise, but...secrets weren't like him. And the fact he was not involving Mother Brain in whatever adjustments to her Powered Suit he was performing was even odder. This made Samus realize something else; as of late, Maru had been actively barring Mother Brain's drones from their home, and had discouraged using her for anything of vital importance. Whatever he was working on, he didn't want the central mainframe bio-mechanical AI of the Nest to know about it.

"Probably better," the blonde muttered as she keyed the entryway shut and resumed her original course up the stairs to the library. A set of data tablets had already been set out for her, along with a large sealed container of a red liquid and a bowl with several fruits and roots she was fond of. Maru, it seemed, had made sure she was well settled for her studies while he was gone. "Culture and physics," she muttered, echoing Maru's own words earlier as to the focus of her study work for the day. Quantum and astrophysics, no less, and a healthy section on the culture of the Luminoth.

What kept her interest as she read through the text of her tablets was that there was a correlation between the two subjects as she began her usual tactic of multi-task reading. The Luminoth had evolved and developed on a rogue planet that also was known for dimensional instabilities. In addition to harnessing the science of making interlinked artificial 'stars' that acted to warm and light their planet, the Luminoth had also evolved a method of pheromone communication in addition to an advanced telepathy node in their brains.

It was midday by the time she had finished the food Maru left prepared as a study snack for her. Despite he had insisted on not worrying about combat training, she still felt the need to get out of the Nest, be it just for her own peace of mind and keeping her body in synch with routine. It would also hopefully get her mind off wondering what exactly it was that he was working on with her armor, and where he had gone.

A fresh pair of water bottles pulled from the cold unit of the kitchen, attached to the back of her utility belt as she headed on her way out of their best, then a large handgun weapon that hung on a rack next to her pulse laser rifle was taken down and hooked to her belt and thigh. Ready now, Samus made down the main path leading out into the Chozodia Plateau. Weather reports from the satellite network had shown a storm on the far side of the region, but it wasn't due to reach them for several hours. That meant she had plenty of time to lose herself in a run about the area.

And as she activated the sealed door, patient as she was scanned in the bridging chamber before her exit to the outside world, and finally taking in a deep breath of unfiltered Zebes air, Samus smiled softly to herself. She took off at a speed that would humans would consider a full sprite, but the motion of her own limbs and the regularity of her breathing was that of someone who was running a steady pace. Within minutes, she had already reached a number of miles out into the Crateria crags, making a leap from an outcrop and crossing almost thirty feet by the time she touched ground again. Dirt and rock spread out from her landing, while the blonde took a deep breath before resuming her pace again. With the speed she was able to maintain, Samus found herself looking back at the mountain which housed Nest from miles away.

One on the water bottles adhered to her utility belt was pulled free, its dispenser cap pulled free with her teeth a moment before Samus took a long drink from the container. She took a chance to sit on a crop of rocks, appreciating the view of the peninsula and the cascade of colors in the sky. In the distance, marked by the multicolor clouds, she could see that storm they were expecting. A quick refresh of the small holographic display computer unit mounted into her suit at the forearm showed that the storm have picked up speed and was due to arrive sooner than expected, but she still had some time to spend out in the world before needing to return.

A glance behind her revealed that she was not long from the old city, Chozodia itself. Taking a pause to brush several strands of hair from over her face, Samus allowed herself a faint smile. "Wish you could have been here to see this, Ian." The young woman sighed in the regret of her closest friend not being alive to join her in these moments of freedom. Even after almost a year, it still hurt. Even after having gotten over the anger and pain just after everything happened, she still hated that she hadn't been able to do anything to save him or the other members of that mission.

Another drink from her water bottle, the dispenser capped, and she placed it back on the adherent panel on the back of her belt. Another moment was taken to brush the blonde strands from her face as she hopped down from her rock seat and brushed her legs off. Within minutes, she was back on her course, reaching the ancient Chozo city within an hour. The main road she set foot on as she approached was one she knew had not been properly used in millennia. Her pace slowed to a relaxed walk while Samus took the time to look up at the great sentinel statues that stood watch over the entrance to the long abandoned capitol. It occurred to her that she had never actually seen the old city beyond one or two of the buildings while under watch of her father. For that matter, save for when Gray Voice had taken her and Maru to the War House for the rather failure of a supposed lesson, she'd never really been inside Chozodia itself since she had been all of four years old.

For a moment, it looked as if the statues were looking down at her as she passed between them. It was then she realized something felt very odd about the city. The few times she had been here before had been direct travel via an air speeder to wherever she had been taken. Actually entering by the main road and gates...it gave a sense she wasn't alone here.

But ghosts didn't really haunt the old places. That was metaphor and stories told. The life essence of living things that died didn't linger in the physical plane, and those beings which ascended beyond physical form were transitioned to another state of existence. Nothing remained that would actually constitute a "ghost", especially here.

A sensation of something brushing against her made the hairs and feathers on the back of her neck stand up. She spun, hand reaching for the large silvery handgun blaster holstered at her thigh and drawing it in a motion that would make even a hair-trigger marine blink in surprise. Her blue-green eyes shifted rapidly, trying to find whatever it was that had touched her. Nothing. The only sound besides her breathing was the rustling of dirt from the slowly building wind. The only one there was her.

Slowly, cautiously, Samus lowered the silver handgun and continued into the city. Her eyes still darted for any sign of what had possibly caused that sense of something else being there. If not for the fact she knew nothing lived here, she would have sworn that she had felt something. Almost like it had be...

Something raked up her back like the tips of a Chozo's talons. With a shout of surprise, the blonde young woman threw herself forward and twisted her body about into a roll. Blaster at the ready once more, Samus found herself breathing heavily, her nerves on high alert. "Who the hell are you?!" she found herself yelling. Within seconds, the girl sighed and mentally hit herself for doing so; no one else was in the city. She as likely causing herself to psych out because of how quite this place was, and the fact she had never been here on her own. While Chozodia was a large city, it shouldn't be hard to find her way around.

Her head cocked as she snapped back into ready stance with her weapon again. For a moment, she could have sworn she had heard her name called. She turned in the direction she thought she had heard the voice; deeper into the city, toward the Halls of I'ya'dn. After a moment, breathing to steady herself, Samus shook her head. She was tricking herself into thinking something was here. Ghosts did not exist. It was all in her head.

And then the fabric of her jumpsuit began to stretch. This was no mental psych out; something was grabbing her and pulling at her attire. Eyes were wide with shock and horror, and Samus realized it was not in her head, it wasn't just her imagination.

Something was in the city with her, and it _had_ her.

"The hell!" She cried out as she swung her body, blaster raised and flaring with a bright pink burst of light. The released discharge of energy flew out of the barrel, but hit nothing as it tore into the air and crackled harmlessly against a stone wall. There was a shifting of dirt; no, a crunch of footsteps. Another turn on her feet and a fired shot, but there was nothing still save the echo of the blast discharge. Whatever was here with her, it wasn't something Samus could see or touch.

And then she could hear the distant rumble of thunder. Turning her gaze back toward Qro'mal Mountain, toward the Nest, she saw that the storm was already creeping over the mountainside. That was far faster than it should have been, but when she checked the chronometer on her wrist fixed computer unit, Samus realized something was wrong. Somehow, she had lost two hours since reaching Chozodia City. But only a matter of minutes seemed to have gone by.

Something whispered in her ear. Turning back again, Samus could feel her heart racing. Ghost weren't real. She kept telling herself that, but something was here with her. Not just in the city, but literally with her in the very place she stood. "What are you?" she said under her breath. Nothing answered, but her pulse did not calm down. She knew it wasn't gone, whatever it was. "What are you?"

A sudden shiver went up her body as she felt an icy cold pressure, like a talon tip, run through her spine. It wasn't just a sensation of touch, but like all warmth had suddenly drained out of her in an instant. She was both shocked into awareness and drained of energy at the same time; she couldn't move. Whatever this invisible force was, it was vastly skilled at what it was doing.

"Who...who are you?"

Only silence again. The only sound was the distant rumbled of the approaching storm. She had to get out of the city before it was too late to escape the coming rain, but whatever this thing was, it didn't want to let her go. Yet there was no form, no being to whatever it was.

Another crunching sound, footsteps, but these sounded different, and Samus became aware that there was most certainly more than one of whatever these things were. More crunching of steps, now all around her, and she could see dirt and stone chips on the ground moving around. They were real, whatever they were.

"What...are you?"

And then she suddenly felt a scream. Not just heard, but _felt_. The sensation rippled through her, making every nerve light with pain as she collapsed. She could hear the screech in her mind, pressure pushing on her skin, and her vision was filled with the image of a large eye. The screeching continued, the horrific vision of that terrible eye staring at her, now the sound of gnashing teeth. She could feel something wrapping around her, pulling her. It was overwhelming...

" _Samus!_ "

The voice she heard was one she knew, and it helped snap her back as she suddenly gasped for air. It was as if she hadn't been breathing for minutes on end. Samus found herself coughing in fits, trying to get air back in her lungs. Every inch of her body was cold and aching, like the life had been in the process of draining out of her.

And standing there, robes fluttering in the now strong wind, was the last Chozo she wanted to ever see, but in this moment, she was grateful, even if she knew she was about to receive an earful of a lecture from him. "Gray Voice...what...are you..."

He reached down, not even letting her finish as he picked the human girl up like she were nothing and carrying her as fast as he could into the city. The very air seemed to darken, but he gave no pause while turning into the roads of Chozodia and came into view of the air speeder. It took a few moments to get Samus inside and make sure she was situated, but the elder Chozo was quick, once making sure she was safe, to look back but a moment before powering the engine drive of the transport craft.

She was freezing, and even as the craft lifted off the ground and rose up over the city, Samus could still feel a chill that was not natural. Something had gotten her, had wrapped some kind of...invisible membrane around her. But things like that weren't real. The rationality of her mind kept telling her, reminding her, that ghosts did not exist.

"You are lucky I was meditating in the ancient city, child."

Gray Voice. His words were unusually filled with concern. He wasn't lecturing her or speaking down to her; he was worried. Genuinely worried. Why? He'd always taken the chance to treat her like an ignorant child in the past, and even though she'd never been told to stay away from the ancient city on her own, it felt like something he would have said.

"I should have warned you."

Was he...taking fault for whatever it was that happened?

"The city is not safe save for the hallowed grounds of the temples and the Halls of I'ya'dn. I should have warned you of the dangers of coming here alone."

There was a rumble of thunder. They were nearing Qro'mal Mountain and the Nest. She could feel warmth, slowly, but it was still only a trickle. What had those... _things_ been?

Gray Voice looked at her as he set the speeder to follow automated entry protocols. After a moment, he knelt down so that he was at eye level with her instead of looking downward. For the first time, she realized, it was not coldness he looked at her. "I have no words of scorn or disappointment, child. There are many things that we have not told you or your father of what came long ago. But you will rest now once I return you to your nest, and you must not enter the city again alone."

A pause as the speeder came to a halt and shuddered. With a sigh, Gray Voice carefully picked the weakened human teenager and lifted her with the same ease as in Chozodia. "There is a darkness that seeks to claim the home of our ancestors, a darkness from long ago, before our kind began to wither and die. For now, you must stay away from it...until you are ready. A day, I fear, must come sooner than we all wish."


	16. The Storm Front

**2976.217**

 **The Nest**  
 **Chozodia Plateau, Zebes**

She was still wrapped up in several blankets by mid-morning. Following what had happened in the old city, Maru had made sure to get her to bed and rest as soon as he could. Even thought she didn't remember much of everything after Gray Voice had found her, she remembered him bringing her back to the Nest and to her father. Whether they had gotten into yet another dispute over her or not, she wasn't sure. But at least her dreams had been silent during the entire time she had slept.

Two things were of note; she was cold, and she was hungry. Considering how long she had slept, the latter was no surprise to Samus. The former, however, was bothering her as she saw that the temperature inside the nest was nowhere near cold; twenty-two degrees centigrade. Whatever had been in Chozodia had thrown her body's ability to regulate temperature into total disarray. The thing was, there had been nothing else in the city besides her, and apparently Gray Voice.

Dragging herself out of bed at last, Samus gave a resounding sigh as she crossed the main hall into the living section and the kitchen. She was alone still. Maru was likely back at whatever he was working on with her Powered Suit. That meant she would likely have her own studies to resume following the incident in the old city yesterday.

Her leftovers from the aborted meal the day before were still waiting in the sealed container. The lid removed, the container slid into the heating unit, and settings input, she just had to wait the few minutes for a quick reheat. In the meantime, she checked the cold storage to find more of the red juice that Maru had left her for her studies. "G'mak berries mixed with a strawberry extract," she muttered while pulling the container out and pouring some of the juice for herself. "You know how to keep me sane, papa."

As soon as the timer went off, Samus grabbed a heat glove and pulled her food from the heating unit. It was odd having the nest so quiet, and with Maru gone again, she likely wouldn't see him until late, if at all. Her blue-green eyes looked around, finally noticing the holographic lettering that was displayed by the main entry door. The human girl took a moment from her meal to walk over and pluck the small palm-sized projector from its mounting at the door. "Will be gone until the night cycle. Storms are worsening, do not leave the Nest."

So they were like looking at a class two or three storm system. Not the worst. And it gave her incentive to take things easy for a few days, like she'd been told to do. It wasn't like anything major was going to be done for her birthday anyway, being that aside from her adopted father, most of the Chozo didn't consider much of celebrations anymore. Something that living so long with a bleak extinction facing them had hardened them to.

If anything else, she would be free of Gray Voice and his training regime for a while. That was a comforting thought as she sat down to her snack and pulled a piece of meat from the plate. Knowing Maru, he at least had something in mind, such as a special dinner meal, or maybe some new device or such to surprise her with. Being so young for his species had led to the tiercel finding more in common in his attitudes with the younger races, particularly humans, than his own kind. Probably why he had gotten so attached to her as his daughter.

After clearing up, Samus grabbed a fresh chill water bottle from the cold unit before heading up the stairs to the library, where she was surprised to find none of the usual prepared data tablets or holo projectors with lessons on various cultures, sciences, or archives to study for the day. The only thing there was a single tablet that displayed the icon she recognized as meaning 'classified'. The Confederation logo no less. Where had her father gotten this?

"This was a classified assessment report," she whispered as she touched the screen and opened the file. Several names appeared as contributors that she recognized, but wasn't familiar with, until one stood out; Castor Dane. "Admiral Dane?"

Another tap at the screen revealed old pre-war documents about concerns over what was in the 2930s an unknown factor from the Large Magellanic Cloud. Reports of organized piracy, strikes on convoys...much was information that was public history texts...but this also revealed a Federation disregard for the "space pirates" at the time, holding Confed back from acting...until they revealed themselves and decimated the Terran colony of Beacon in 2948. And the Federation had every sign it was coming. Why had Daiban ignored it and kept the Confederation armed forces from acting until _after_ an entire colony was lost?

Her father had a reason for this lesson. It took a few more pages to realize she was reading the early threat assessment and post-war reports about the Kromus. These were documents that had been sealed, how had her father gotten them? There were pages and pages authored by Admiral Dane, a vice admiral at the time these were written, about the projected threat presented by the Kromus Imperium. The Confederation could have avoided so much destruction, but Chairman Vog'l had refused to let them get involved outside limited actions in specific sectors.

What was the lesson here? Maru was trying to show her something...but what was it?

A rumble from outside drew her attention; water was splattering against the viewport window, reminding her of her childhood in this very room, with similar storms raging outside as she had studied back then. Odd that now, of all times, she would become nostalgic.

Yet it wasn't her childhood that she was reminiscing about, but times more recent. She sighed as she got back to reading the reports on the data tablet, but her focus and mind were elsewhere.

* * *

 **2975.217**

 **Mountain Point Army Academy**  
 **Cheyenne, Wyoming**

The morning was already off to a lousy start as she felt her stomach heave. The contents that were vomited into the toilet bowl were few, mostly mucus and bile, but it was enough to make her hate the position she was in. Up to nine, sometimes even ten different medications taken at once, some only given to her in attempt to counteract the unexpected side effects of the ones she had been assigned by the academy psychiatrists in order to control her temper, mood swings, and the horrific nightmares she was still plagued by.

"Not even morning meal, and I don't wanna eat."

The sun wasn't even up outside the academy complex, but the days were always early to rise demands, regardless of how well she slept or not. The sixteen-year-old cadet grabbed a fresh hand towel from nearby and made sure she wiped her face clean of any backsplash from her upheaval. Judging from the sounds from the dorm common room, her roommate was himself ready for the day. Better to get dressed and deal with the effects of her medications as best she could.

A few minutes taken to pull a fresh uniform from the closet and dress herself for classes. Her hair was quickly fixed into the regulation bun before she made her way from her quarters and into the common room. As she suspected, Ian was finishing his own prep for the day's classes. And judging from the look on his face, he had heard her struggle with her morning medications.

"Which nasty cocktail is it today that will have the dorm section questioning just how many benefits between friends we have?"

Her eyes, bleary and not even trying to hide her exhaustion, blinked in confusion as she tilted her head. When Ian gave her the mischievous grin that she'd come to see as a bit of a trademark quirk of his, Samus let out a groan. Two years of being his roommate had taught her quite a bit of his peculiar sense of humor. Not as if it wasn't already assumed that most dorm assignments that stayed dorm assignments past the first semester had some kind of relationship or agreement of 'benefits' going on, particularly when they got along a little too well, and had been the ones to request said continued dorm assignment. "I'm sure that there is plenty of discussion among my _many_ detractors of what goes in my mouth besides a bunch of psych meds..."

" _My_ lips, my dear Ladyhawk, are sealed in that regard." He still had that grin on his face as he straightened the upper half of his uniform, but his attitude said that something was on his mind still. "Your birthday is tomorrow, anything planned this year?"

The blonde slowly shook her head as she filled herself one last glass of water from the dispenser, sipped it down, then set the glass in the sink. "No more than the last couple years, not something I'm used to. It's not like anyone but father really cared about me back in the Nest." She spoke in a way she wouldn't dare around anyone else when it came to Ian; mentions of her previous home with the Chozo, and her regard for the tiercel who had raised her. "And...we didn't have access to any of my family data out there, so I didn't even know my birth-father had any living relatives until Admiral Dane helped me find what records there, let alone the day I was born."

"So you never really had a birthday party or anything like that since the Birds took you in?" Ian raised a confused eye brow while he grabbed his data tablet from the counter. "I guess when you live as long as I've heard they do, birthdays become really just hindsight."

"I suppose so. Most of the elders are upwards of a thousand years by standard reckoning, so even remembering the days they hatched on probably stopped having any importance a long time ago." Her own tablet was now in hand, powered on in preparation for classes, Samus breathed in as her stomach and headaches started acting up again. "Gods, this is going to be a long day..."

* * *

By evening meal, Samus was unsure how much more she could take in the day. Dismissed to the mess-hall, she was trying to keep any semblance of an appetite, but every time she thought about food, her stomach began wrenching at her. The problem with many of the medications she was on, as she had been discovering, was that they were developed for a human biological make up. With her having half her genetic genome being hybridized, albeit through artificial means, it meant that there were many side-effects that could not have been predicted.

More so, the origin and species of said hybrid genome was something she could not talk about, and political backlash was the least of worries for that. It wasn't known outside of very few that the Chozo were incapable of breeding, let alone that that species was even still alive and able to take part in galactic affairs. If her existence as a hybrid were revealed at large, she likely would not have any freedoms at all to speak of, and her adopted father had pressed that fact on her when she left home. Meaning that the official story was she had been found and cared for by an Alphinian transport crew, until she'd been old enough to make her decision to go home to Terra. When asked about the feathers and her "unusual" genetic markers; she caught a genetic infection and was treated with a gene infusion from a T'vaoan Kig-Yar member of the crew when she was six.

Which had led to more contempt from some cadets than it resolved. But she was finally left alone after two years of this mess, and about two years left until she graduated as a junior lieutenant of the Confederation Army. In the meantime, she just had to make sure she didn't break any more arms, or legs, and just get through everything without getting thrown out.

And right now, all she could find herself able to stomach was a bowl of soup and some soda from the dispenser. Not exactly the best combination for making sure she had the energy for the rest of the day. She was not willing to try and call a sick day, since she received enough criticism as it was about "living off daddy's fame."

Never mind that she had been living in that shadow and expectation since day one, and it had _not_ helped make things one bit easier. She'd been endlessly criticized for not being as quick to adapt and fall in with authority, a constant problem working with others as a unit, and despite her physical abilities being far ahead of her peers, even when trying to hold them back, it led to all the questions of what happened to her while she had been "missing" for over a decade.

The fact she had survive into starting her third class year was, at times, a miracle.

As it was, she sat alone with her year class avoiding her for the most part. It gave Samus the opportunity to quickly check on her schedules and task as well as messages from instructors. There was one from Sergeant Xim, reminding her that she was due for firearms qualifiers within the week. That wasn't even accounting for the week long active training she was set to complete next month out by Cheyenne Mountain in the Pike Peak Forest. Add to that further exams and the various piling of studies over the next few months, and being left to herself was looking more and more like a blessing and not a curse.

If not for her own dormmate, and the few friends she had as a result of him and his brother, she might not have any desire to care about anyone else.

"Is it true? That she's not actually human?"

And now she was hearing talk from some of the second years. Heightened senses were a plus, until you were able to hear people talking about you from fifty feet away.

"I've seen feathers on the back of her neck, and Ibanaz swore she saw some around-"

Her fist slammed down slammed down, nearly cracking the table with how much she failed to control her anger and strength. It also made the mess hall go dead silent as she stood up, carried her tray to the wash station, and slid the whole pile in. Without another word, she started for the exit doorway, earning the further stares of both the second and third year classes that were supposed to be eating.

As well as the senior staff who knew she was supposed to be as well.

"Cadet, is there a reason you are not seated to your meal with the rest of your class?!"

"The rest of my class feels that I'm never going to be acceptable as part of the unit, and I've lost my appetite." She was in no mood for formalities or pleasant appearances. Blunt honesty had always served her better than false courtesy. Likely, she would get chewed out for her attitude, again, but Samus was not looking to score points with anyone.

And here came the staff sergeant, his face set with anger on his approach. Here came the yelling, the talking down to her, and the certain threat of ejection from the academy, again. Today was one of those days where she didn't care anymore. She'd had enough as it was.

"No one is here to make you feel like a special little snowflake, cadet!" And here it came. "You want to be accepted, then you learn to mesh in and not stand out as a problem!" While clearly being used to set an example. Truthfully, she knew the academy staff and NCO instructors were just doing their job. Most of them had no personal bias when they cracked down and made an example of someone who stepped out of line. But when then other cadets treated her as if she were something that would never belong, then that was where Samus drew her own line. "This is the fucking Army, little girl! If you think anyone is going to go easy on you just because you're an orphan or because your daddy was famous-"

Something snapped. Literally. An electric _crack_ could be heard as sparks fizzled out from the now raggedly split data tablet that was slowly collapsing further under the force of her grip. "I barely knew my parents before they were slaughtered by the Kromus." The words were hissed out, almost a snarl as her hands crushed the pieces of her tablet even further. "No one has ever made it easy for me here except maybe my dorm-mate and his family, and that's just him not being an asshole, while everyone else here put impossible expectations and treats me like I should handle fives times the load as everyone else, and makes it clear that I'll never be good enough to be John Aran's daughter. So you all are already treating me like I will never mesh or fit in, and I honestly don't give a worm bitten Jiralhanae's bloated furry ass anymore!"

Dead silence continued from the entire mess hall as every cadet stared in shock and horror, both awaiting and fearing the staff sergeant's response to a very insubordinate cadet, one whom has rumors aplenty floating around regarding things she'd done, was capable of, and the clean up to try and hide it. The snapping in half of a data tablet nominally rated to take a bullet or a pulse shot, with her bare hands, was only proving rumors to be true.

"Report your little ass back to your quarters and remain there in confinement until Sergeant Xim has a word with you." He knew what would happen if she lost control. Cadet Winters, and two others like her were proof enough of why tackling this sixteen year old girl alone was a bad idea. "And if you so much breath wrong on your way there, you will be in chains and set for an oh-four hundred hour shuttle to the likes of Calliope IX, or some other god-forsaken hellhole to rot in a cell, because word spreads quick despite the official reports about those three cadets, Aran. Two of them deserved it, but one of them was just mouthing off. This is your last fucking chance to not end up in chains for the rest of your life."

Always the threat of being deported off Terra and to Calliope IX or some similar ghetto of a planet. What was the focus on that planet in particular, was it really just a run down penal colony or something? Regardless, she knew when she was pushing the wrong buttons, even if hers had already been figuratively beaten in with a hammer. "I'm only listening because I have better things to do than get sent to a boogieman planet that I doubt is half as bad as the threats make it... _sergeant._ "

She walked past him, though moving around instead of pushing him out her way, because even she knew better than to incur the wrath of the faculty again. Samus knew she was being followed and monitored, so for once she did as ordered and made a beeline for her dorm. Eyes were on her as she stormed through the corridors and took the required lift to her dormitory floor. She likely could expect either Xim or even a member of the administration staff to arrive soon and tell her to pack.

It was after realizing she was still holding the crushed pieces of her tablet that Samus finally set them aside on a counter, then headed to her room and pulled out the transport cases her belongings had been brought in. There was no doubt she was done here, and she was better off preparing to get the hell out if someone tried to make good on those threats of "Calliope IX". Sometimes she doubted the planet even existed.

It was when she was finished up her packing when the common room door was heard opening. Her head cocked back in a snappish fashion, knowing it was not a friend arriving. Likely her escort out of the academy, and to the often threatened shuttle.

"You best not be packing to hightail your feather-necked ass out of here after the I just spent an hour and a half defending your ass to Commandant Keyes and explaining why you weren't completely out of line with that outburst in the mess hall, Cadet."

Those were the last words she expected to hear out of Sergeant Chao Xim. Him defending her, after the hell he'd put her through? "I figure you'd be first in line to throw me onto the shuttle off of Terra, Sergeant. You never liked me."

The snort he gave as Samus turned to face him told how wrong he believed she was. "I put up with you for two years so far, Cadet. If I really didn't like you as much as you think, I wouldn't have pushed as hard as I have, nor made sure your feathered ass stays here as long as I could help it." After a moment, Xim gestured to the transport cases. "Unpack that shit right now while you listen, or I _will_ be the first to stow you on a shuttle out of here."

It was unexpected that the drill sergeant who had gotten on her case for the last two years was trying to keep her there. Samus also knew better than to question fortune, but there had to be a catch if she was being allowed to stay after this little incident. "I'm better off not here at this point," she muttered as she slowly did as ordered. She didn't have much that she owned to begin with, which made unpacking again simple. "No disrespect to you, sergeant, but I'm not exactly well liked by other cadets or the staff. Even our civilian instructors want me gone."

"If your anti-social little attitude could hold off on running your mouth like you just did now, maybe you'd have fewer problems." The man leaned slightly against the doorway as he sighed and watched her put things away again. "Cadet Aran, while I acknowledge you have some pretty heavy unfair expectations on you because of your father, it's fair to say what I've seen you capable of has given me some expectations of my own that I feel are warranted. You're beyond almost every cadet here on a physical level, something I know for a fact is not a quirk of being an ÆSIR trooper's kid, because those augmentations don't breed. You're incredibly intelligent, and if you could get your head out of your adolescent self-centered pity now and then, I know you could easily make squad leader with your tactical sense."

Another pause as he sighed again. "But you have issues with people and authority. You do work best on your own, but lone wolfs are not something that work out well in the military often. Even a headhunter has to know how to work with others. If you can swallow your pride enough to deal with this, I know you will make good on everything people expect of you."

"But..." She already knew there was something.

"But you need to recognize there is a time and a place for that pride, and right now, you need to keep it in check." Xim cocked his head slightly as he noted she had finished putting her belongings away again, then glanced to the chronometer unit on her desk. "I'm sure your roommate has tried to tell you that enough times himself, and the fact Malkovich sees something through all your issues is apparently enough to keep you requested as his rooming assignment for two years running." A snort as Xim gave a faint smile. "Not that there's probably much secret to it. The fact he takes you back to see his family on holiday leaves and you two head into town together during weekend leaves says enough."

She felt her temper flare, her cheeks flushing as the last drawer was slammed shut. Talk around the other students was bad enough, but if the staff was talking about it too... "Respectfully, I would watch what you say next, sergeant. Presumptions about me have already broken arms and faces."

"Stow the attitude, Cadet. Hallway gossip or not, we know what goes on in the dorms with a bunch of teenagers, and we keep the medical stations stocked for that very reason." Despite his retort, Xim otherwise didn't seem rackled. "I'm not criticizing you. I'm saying I'm well aware of what likely goes on in this dorm, and I'm not making it my business, but maybe you should think about where you two stand. Because what I just finished talking Commandant Keyes into will either be the end of my career, or the official start of yours in the army by the end of the school year."

That made no sense. Keyes was likely ready to her thrown out as soon as possible after all the trouble she knew she'd been. How could any thing that Xim said make her army career...and then the rest of it caught up with her. "Your career? Why would-"

"Get your act together and hold it for this year." The interruption was quick and to the point. Xim was not going to mince words after the lengthy discussion he clearly had been locked in with the head of the academy. "You either had this, or your choices were get dumped into service as a private or sent off to a prison cell on Calliope IX, and I know you hear it as a threat all the time, but trust me, Aran. That place is real, and you do _not_ want to go there ever." The sergeant took a breath, sighed, and rubbed his temples as he continued. "Keep it all together this year. No more insubordination, no more fights that get cadets medical discharge, no more reports of you nearly killing someone, as justified as the two dickthinkers getting what you gave them was, and most important, you are under my eye until you and Malkovich do one month active training on the _Vixiv_ in November, and then back with me as soon as you are back."

None of this made sense. It almost sounded like she was getting moved up to fourth year curriculum, but she had barely started her third year. "Why am I being sent to the _Vixiv_ , one month active assignment is Firsties territory."

"Commandant Keyes wants you out of her hair as soon as possible. I think you still have the stuff to make a damn solid officer if you can get through your issues..." And the hesitation then in his words wasn't missed. He was holding something back. "And there are, certain sections of the military where stubbornness and drive like yours are actually in demand...but it doesn't do you shit if you wash out of here for anything less than a psych eval and discharge."

"Because then it's straight into enlistment with all that hanging over me anyway."

A nod from Xim. They were on the same page at least. "You play by my rules here, and you get early graduation and direct commission as a lieutenant junior grade by end of term next spring. It gets you out of Keyes' hair without ruining your father's rep, you get a recommend for a very high key project that is looking for young would be officers like you, and I don't end up retiring early for sticking my neck out on your behalf."

He had staked his career on her. It wasn't a reward to be forced into a fast track, but it was a middle ground that got every one what they seemed to want. If nothing else, it saved her some face when she finally left here and went into the officer corps like intended. And the fact Xim was risking his job on her behalf was, to be blunt, a hell of a motivation. She'd had the impression he liked her even less than most of the staff, but putting his job on the line revealed otherwise; he actually believed in her.

"You're confined to quarters tonight, and in the morning, you report to me at oh-six hundred. No backtalk, no complaining, no bullshit, am I clear, Cadet Aran?"

"Crystal, Sergeant!" she snapped off as she brought herself to attention. The smirk on Xim's lips told her enough that he was satisfied for now. As it was, she didn't plan to go anywhere even if offered.

And then his nod. "Now, I have some paperwork to do, and my career to pray for, so you make sure you're ready at asscrack of dawn." He straightened his back, turned to leave, then paused. "And a bit of advice. Considering you likely won't have any free time after tonight beyond sleep, I suggest you get your birthday celebration out once your not-so-secret boyfriend gets back from his day. The security override code for the med station is on the table, and you're welcome."

Samus blinked in confusion as Xim made his exit. It took a few moments before understand dawned on her. More so, the fact she was being _encouraged_ hit her and the meaning of the aforementioned clearance code. A sigh, a deep breath, and Samus walked into the common room to make sure that Xim had, in fact, left; the door was shut and sealed, and that left her to contemplate what she was going to do with the few options before her.

* * *

A series of beeps signaled the keypad entries just before the common room door slide open to reveal a very beleaguered Ian Malkovich. He stepped inside, shutting the door behind him, then blinked as he noticed none of the lights were on in the dorm room. Considering the time, he didn't expect Samus to already be in bed, especially since her birthday was the next day.

"Maybe I should have tried to sneak that bottle of Firekkan Firewater in for you like Adam had suggested," he muttered as he unlatched the top snaps of his uniform jacket. It was then Ian noticed a peculiar scent that he knew wasn't supposed to be in their dorm. "Is that...whiskey?"

A second later, he found himself against a wall with what felt like a steel block pressing against his chest. It took him a few moments to get his bearings back and realize the source of said pressure was the open and very firm palm of the blue-green eyes blonde girl who had a drawn out smirk on her lips and a mischievous gleam in her eyes. And a half empty bottle of whiskey in her left hand that had clearly been pilfered from the staff room on this level. "Uh, Sammy. Little unexpected of you...how did you get that and how much did you have without me?"

"It was sealed when I got it," came her almost too smooth of a reply. It was after his eyes had adjusted further that Ian realized there was a uniform already thrown on the floor behind her, and that she was wearing only her under-attire. "So, here's the deal. I'm about to go into fast track tomorrow, because Commandant Keyes is tired out tearing her hair out at my expense, and Xim stuck his neck out for me so I don't end up either shipped to a prison backwater or get dumped into the bottom of the ranks. So before all that goes down, I wanna have one last night of saying fuck the rules and do what I want," and as she raised the bottle, she gave Ian a very suggestive waggle of her brows, "and I hope you know what comes next, soldier boy. Because the first time only happens once for either of us."

* * *

She awoke with a start, blinking as she looked around. Feeling a blanket around her shoulders, Samus realized that she had fallen asleep in the library. A glance at a nearby chronometer revealed that it was early morning, meaning it was, by the Terran calendar, her birthday. The blonde girl gave a sigh as she pulled herself out of her seat and pulled the blanket around herself and moved toward the staircase. A rumble from outside caught her attention. At first, she thought it was just thunder from the storm, but then another such sound make her realize it was something else. After a moment, Samus took a step toward the viewport, noting the rain that was splashing against the clear pane.

Nothing was evident right away, until a dark form shot across the clouds. Samus narrowed her eyes as she leaned toward to try and see what was out there in the storm-wracked surface region. For a moment, there was nothing. Just darkness and the sounds of that rumbling. Oddly, the rain seemed to have stopped.

And then she heard Maru yelling for her just before the viewport exploded in and sent her flying back across the room.


	17. Invasion

**2976.218**

Fires were raging in the underground city known as the Nest. Screams echoed in the caverns as the Chozo fled from the destructive force that had made itself known in the dead of night. A series of explosions tore through a cluster of nests, debris flying in all direction, and some of those homes were now littered by not just broken walls, but also the remains of their former occupants. And through it, there were other shouting and growling voices, speaking in a language that could only described as hissing and snapping vocalizations.

In all the chaos, the source of the horrors that filled the caverns were a swarm of reptilian insectiod crustacean creatures. Towering over even the tallest of the Chozo and broad built, their arms ended not with hands, but elongated pincers, their heads covered in exoskeletal plates while twin sets of glowing yellow-red eyes peered out from withdrawn sockets like burning hellfire coals. A pair of large outer mandible jaws vibrated and clicked while framing the smaller inner sets of insect mandibles that marked their mouths as the creatures swept into the Nest, while glowing veins running along their precision sculpted arms into the snapping pincers revealed the source behind the bright green energy bursts that they were unleashing from nodes within the pincer claws.

Most of the nest homes were rubble, reduced to the foundations. And yet, one such debris pile shifted, rose, and opened up to reveal the worn and scratched face of Samus Aran as she pushed aside the nearly three hundred pound slab of stone and pulled herself and Maru out of the wreckage of their home. The tiercel breathed in as he nodded his thanks to her, sifted through the rubble, and pulled his staff from the ruins of the nest. "We need to hurry," he stated without any hesitation. Samus took a moment to recover the large hand blaster and her pulse rifle from the rubble, but the latter was smashed and cracked down the barrel, leaving it a useless lump. She groaned and tossed the weapon aside before looking at the underground city and realizing what had happened.

"How did anyone even find us, let alone get past the early warning network that the entire system is arrayed with?"

"Better question is _who_ made it possible for them to get past the network." Any other Chozo would be horrified by what he was suggesting, but he knew that it was the only answer. "We need to get out of here now, _Varia_. The Kromus are here for blood, and I rather prefer neither of us dies today."

A shuffle of his shoulders to shed the dust and debris, and Maru began to lead the way into the city. It didn't escape his notice that Samus had her blaster drawn and ready, her eyes flickering around for any sign of a threat. Short time or no, she had learned more than enough at the Terran academy. It was both encouraging, yet saddening at the same time; his daughter was, like it or not, a soldier.

Their path into the deeper city was clear for the most part. They could hear the sounds of energy weapons discharge, smoke filling the air, but they had been spared as yet of the main invading force as the pair reached further into the caverns. Samus wasn't sure what her father had in mind, but they were heading toward the industrial district if she remembered right. Was that where her armor had been relocated?

It was as they closed in on the Hall of Elders that Samus started to realize she was breathing heavily. They had yet to encounter any of the other residents of the Nest, little to say of whomever was attacking. And yet she could feel her chest tighten, a sense of dread that she had seen all this before. It didn't make sense to her as she followed Maru deeper into the city, but as they heard the sounds of weapons discharge, the sickening sense of a familiarity crept up from her stomach; she _knew_ this.

 _"Mama, help!"_

 _"Get the hell away from my daughter!"_

"Samus, are you alright?"

Her lungs felt like they were in a vice, and as she rapidly blinked to clear her vision, Samus realized she had lost a precious few seconds. Maru was holding her up, causing the girl to realize she must have nearly fallen. "I'm...yeah, just a bit hard to breath."

He wasn't convinced. Smoke was clearly no issue, and he could see the glazed expression in her eyes. He wasn't familiar with it first hand, but instinct told him that something was wrong. "Stay close, _Varia._ "

A nod as Samus took a breath. The strange sensation that had overcome her was bothering her thoughts even as she tried to keep her mind on their situation. It was like seeing something that had happened long ago, but she couldn't remember it, felt that she _didn't_ want to remember. The blond human was checking her hand blaster almost like clockwork as they crossed into the Elder District. The stench of burning flesh and torched feathers was strongest, and it was a moment of her perceptions failing her that led Samus to trip over and fall to the ground. She grunted, pulled her legs free, then gasped in shock at what she had stumbled over. "Azure Paths?"

The Chozo tiercel breathed in to keep his own nerves steady as he helped his daughter to her feet. "Let her journey to the next world be one of peace," he whispered. The sight was gruesome enough; burn holes in the body where the deceased formel had been shot, scorched flesh and muscles exposed. But the expression on the corpse's face showed that shooting her hadn't be enough for the invaders as her beak had been smashed and cracked, and her eyes were rolled back in a fashion that revealed she had also been beaten and strangled.

Samus could feel her throat tighten, her stomach lurching in that split second warning just before she vomited. It wasn't so much the scene of death that bothered her, as her training at the academy had made efforts to prepare her for such. But the overwhelming sensation that had blanked her awareness out before was returning, and she was hearing screams that she knew were not actually there.

Why was she hallucinating like this, now of all times?

More screams, except now Maru cocked his head, revealing that they weren't in her head. "This isn't a raid, it's a massacre," the tiercel whispered as he gripped his staff tightly. "They've rounded most of the elders up in the council dome, make it easier to kill everyone."

But who were "they"? "Are we going to break them out and evacuate the Nest?" It was a forgone conclusion to her; dying species or not, the Chozo would want their end on their terms. And as the oldest remaining flock in the Brood, Zebes had to be preserved. Yet Samus found herself surprised when Maru continued on his way toward the industrial district, wherein she knew the launch bays and a few transport craft were located. "Shouldn't we be evacuating survivors? The Brood has to survive."

"The Nest is already lost, arrogant elders face their end either in beds or in the claws of the Kromus...and the battle I fought in over twenty cycles ago was just delaying the inevitable because none of them would ever listen to me."

It was an uncharacteristically bitter statement from her father, causing Samus to stare at him in shock. His usual complaints about the elders were normally just venting frustrations, but this was almost the suggestion they abandon what was left of the Chozo.

"Get to the launch bays, I've made all the preparations we need." The tiercel clicked his beak tips in a commanding fashion, allowing no mistake in understanding his intentions. "Gray Voice already made sure we were ready for this eventuality, I just hope we don't get cut off by the Kromus before we reach the ship."

The girl took a breath, trying to settle the anxiety she could feel building up. "So it really is the Space Pirates?" she asked as she followed Maru further into the city. "How did they know we were here? What do they want?" He had mentioned a ship, which she assumed was one of the trans-galactic capable jump ships that the elders used for trade journeys outside of the galactic local group. Samus bit down as she could feel her chest tightened again; she need to get this under control before they escaped from the nightmare they were living through.

Maru didn't answer as he led the way toward the launch bays. He suddenly halted and raised his staff to keep Samus from going further as the amber spheres that were his eyes narrowed. "Hide," the tiercel stated in cold tone. It was moments later after they had both taken cover that Samus could hear the clacking sound of talons against the stone road. She almost moved to greet the sight of one of the Chozo if not for Maru holding his staff against her and shaking his head. And then she realized it was not one pair of footsteps she heard, but _multiple_.

The hissing and snapping vocal sounds revealed that it was a group of the invaders, outer mandibles clicking even as the apparent lead of the group snapped its hand claws together. As Samus carefully tried to see what was going on, she could hear the chirps of a Chozo being pushed to the ground, and a voice she knew far too well.

"Kromus barbarians! What do you hope to gain?! Who led you here, your damned abomination is dead fifteen cycles now!"

Platinum Chest. She moved to help the elder, but Samus was stopped again as Maru shook his head and pushed her back to lead her away to safety. It was when Samus looked back, stubbornly wanting to do something that she saw... _something._ Large, purple, but she couldn't tell what it was. And she felt her chest seize up to the point she could barely breath, forcing Maru to pull her along to hiding just as they heard a scream from where they had left Platinum Chest and his captors.

"I'm sorry, _Varia_ , but we have to hurry so we do not share his fate," her father stated as he led her along. The screams continued for several seconds until they heard a distinct _crunch_ , and then a roar.

And the pain came. Rapid panicked breathing, her legs all but locking up. Her lungs seized as she heard the screams in her mind again, could smell the fires and see the bodies. Her nightmares, all real, and she knew now what was wrong; she was reliving the massacre of her home for real.

And her parents.

" _Samus, stay behind me!_ "

She could hear weapons fire, a sound higher pitched and distinctly not the biolasers projected by the Kromus. More screams, her breathing shallow while her heart pounded and caused her to lose her footing. It was enough Maru had to sweep back and pick her up as he realized exactly what was going on.

"Stay with me, _Varia_ , we have to hurry."

" _Mama, where's daddy?!_ "

The roar of explosions both real and in her mind reverberated in her ears, causing the blonde human to lock up, unable to respond. She was almost not even registering what was going on around her as her father hurried as best he could through the industrial district and into the launch bays. By the time Samus was about to take in her surroundings again, she realized that they were passing all the jumpships and heading into a normally locked off area. "Papa...where are we going?"

He didn't reply. Instead, Maru focused on scanning into the normally restricted section of the launch hangers as he could hear several clacking footsteps approaching, clearing the opening door just before he forced it shut again and initiated lockout protocols. "Even Mother Brain can't bypass that without a fight," he muttered as he carried his adopted daughter toward a small red and yellow craft that waited for them. He paused only long enough to allow the backside hatch to open and grant them entry before entering as fast as he could on a damaged leg without the aid of his staff.

As soon as the rear hatch had closed, Maru took the chance to set Samus down in the forward cockpit main seat and brushed her hair aside softly with a talon tipped hand. It was then the girl noticed that there was a containment chamber containing her armor in the back of the craft, explaining where Maru had taken it. "Is this where you've been sneaking off the last several days?"

"As your father, I hardly need to explain what I've been doing to a teenage daughter who likes to keep her own secrets." Despite the tone of his words, Maru gave her a faint smile at the corners of his beak while making sure she was settled in, then starting the ship's main drives and booting up the navcom systems. "The lockout will hold the Kromus for a bit, but it wont stall them forever. We need to launch and make the jump into the slipstream as soon as we can clear Zebes' gravity field." Amber orbs shifted as he heard a thud from outside and realized there was more than one way into the hanger. Already through the main viewport, he could see the Kromus begin breaking in from the opening end of the launch bay. They would not stop, and if Samus were to have any chance, Maru knew there was only one option. One that was no doubt going to cause his poor daughter the worst anxiety attack of her life.

But she would have a chance. "Promise me, no matter what, you will not leave this ship."

"Papa?"

His left hand took tight hold of his staff, and tapping at the main console and a series of holographic controls, Maru locked in a set of commands before activating the main autopilot. "Promise me, Hatchling." With a grunt, he walked over to a small hexagonal panel in the center of the cabin that rose moments later to reveal the access hatch on the roof of the ship. He could see the horrified realization in her eyes, her head shaking fearfully, but he knew they had no other choice. And so, he gave her what he knew would likely be his last words to her.

"I love you, and will always protect you, Samus."

"Papa, _no_!"

Her screams were cut off to his ears as he crossed the open top hatch, and Maru breathed in to ready himself as he stepped off the lift panel. A second later, his feet clear, he could hear the hatch snap shut and hiss as it sealed for the programmed launch. "Don't forget me, my Hatchling," the tiercel whispered as he braced his damaged leg, gripped his staff in both talon-tipped hands, and raced forward with a screeching that cause the oncoming Kromus to halt in shock just before he pushed off the ship's roof with all the force he could summon in his legs.

The landing pinned one of the pirates beneath him, the four inch claws of his feet digging in deep into the Kromus raider that had been so unlucky as to break his descent. A scream came from the insectoid inner mandibles a moment before the Chozo gave an angry chuff and slammed the bottom end of his staff down with enough force that it cracked open the pirate's carapace and drove through the closest pair of eyes. More screams as the gathering group of Kromus Pirates suddenly backed away as they realized this was a Chozo who wouldn't just stand and let them do as they wanted.

Maru snarled as he rose up to his full height, just over six feet and smaller than most of his foes, but his broad form made it clear he was no easy prey. "The Elders may have forfeit our ancestral ways as warriors," he hissed, driving his foot claws into the face of his first successful target and pushing them deep into the alien invader's remaining eye set, causing a shriek just before he drove his staff through the pirate's brain casing with a series of snaps and crunches. "But I am Maru, son of Bright Visions, last of the Chozo...and _I_ do not shy or hide from our legacy as protectors." A grunt as he pulled his staff free of the now silent Kromus' head, tearing pieces of its head plates loose while the body twitched from the nerves still active. "And you will _never_ lay hands or claws on _my daughter again!_ "

The screeching roars of the Kromus filled the hanger even as the red and yellow craft began to lift off the stone landing pad. One launched itself at the Chozo tiercel, only to feel the smashing crunch as Maru's staff slammed into its outer mandibles at full force, causing broken fragments of its facial plates to fly off and collapsing the structure of the impacted mandible in tandem. A cry of pain was the last sound that pirate made before Maru swung back around with the bottom end of his staff and made another sweeping hit that caused the pirate to swerve about and right into the Chozo's waiting grip. A moment later, a sickening _crunch_ was heard as he snapped the Kromus' neck and dropped the twitching corpse to the ground. It was enough that the pirates realized how much they underestimated this runt of the flock.

Two more leapt forward, forcing Maru to react with a thrust of his staff at one before switching his grip and bringing the staff about to strike the second moments before it could attempt firing the biolaser emitters hidden in its hand-claws. Using the momentum, he brought his good leg up and snapped his foot claws across the face of the first of the attacking pair, which allowed him to tear parts of it chitinous plates away from its head. Glowing green fluids spilled on the stone floor, more following as Maru gave a vicious screech and brought a free hand into a lunging thrust that smashed through chitinous armor and exoskeletal structure. A click of his beak, and the tiercel yanked back, tearing out almost an entire side of the pirate's head at the mandible joints.

And watching from the cockpit of the red and yellow ship, Samus was in shock at the capabilities of her adopted father. She had never known he could be so possessed of such violent instincts, let along the sheer strength he was displaying. It dawned on her that he _had_ admitted he was involved in the Kromus War along side her birth-father, but she had never imagined him capable of fighting off multiple foes at once, let alone with this kind of ferocity. It was no wonder the Elders looked down on him; everything they tried to forget about their ancestors warrior ways, he had embraced and passed on to her. _This_ was the fury of a Chozo warrior of old.

" _ **Preparing for launch, course laid for evasion of hostile elements and approach for jump to quantum slipstream.**_ "

Her eyes went glassed with fear. "No, we can't leave him!" she cried tapping all the main controls in attempt to find the override. "We can get him back on board, please!"

A shudder threw her back into her seat as biolaser bursts impacted against the crackling golden energy shields that absorbed each discharge as if it was nothing. Hexagonal grids flared with each impact, protecting the ship as the main engines roared to life even as Samus screamed for the navcom AI to stop. " _ **Main drive ignition in ten qlics.**_ "

"No, please for the love of I'ya'dn, give him a chance to get back on!"

For all her pleas, she knew it was futile. Maru had locked her out of the autopilot specifically so she couldn't override. He planned this as soon as he had seen the Kromus break into the launch bays. And now, he was trying to buy her more time as he viciously fought the pirates and dispatched them brutally one by one. The main drives gave a roar as the ship shuddered and maneuvered into the main launch tunnel, the vibration rattling the main cabin as Samus forced herself into the pilot's seat again, tears in her eyes as she strapped herself in and prepared for the g-forces that were coming. "I'm sorry," she whispered as she watched the fight on the landing pad. "I'm so sorry, papa...forgive me..."

And as Maru was even then smashing in the head of one of the Kromus, he looked up and smiled despite everything as the bright colored ship tore off through the air and down the tunnel runway. It was enough for him to know that his daughter was safe, but he hardly was about to just give up to the Kromus, not after what they had done.

Half a dozen still were closing on him. "Kromus scum," he hissed as he readied himself. He was probably going to die here, the total assured extinction of his kind, but at least it was worth it to him. "There is at least one Chozo who knows what it means to fight the evils of this universe, and knows what we were!"

* * *

The ship raced away from the mountainside, finally revealing the smoldering hole where the Pirates had broken into the city. Her blue-green eyes were bloodshot as she gave up on fighting her tears even while she held on to the armrests of her seat. Until the ship pushed out of the main reach of the planetary gravity well, inertia dampeners and graviton diffusers were useless to allow for higher speeds.

A screen appeared, signaling that a sensor shroud cloaking system was active. So long as the Pirates didn't look right at her, their sensors wouldn't pick her up. It was enough to safeguard her as the lithe red and yellow craft fired its engines hard and began angling upward and away from the planet. Minutes went as the sky gradually shifted in color from pale pink into the darkening blue-into-black of space. She could see the orbiting Kromus ships, most consisting of classes she recognized, but something else was there, something she didn't known, yet could feel the dread swelling up as she looked at it.

Massive in length, shaped in design almost like a blade with protrusions at specific points all over the ship. She didn't know what it was, but she knew it was likely a match for anything the Confederation Fleet. She had to warn the Federation, get their help to take her home back. "I'm coming back," Samus whispered as the main console lit up. The navcom was checking charts for inhabited friendly worlds. As soon as they arrived, she needed to contact Admiral Dane. He was the only one who could help them now.

" _ **Scanning database. Setting destination vectors for Dakona System, planet NGC-24367. Designation listed in Federation registry as Calliope IX.**_ "

She knew that name. For almost three years, it was held over her head as a threat to keep her in line, a place that the refuse of the galaxy were sent to rot, preferably in a cell. The irony that it was considered the nearest "friendly system" was not lost as Samus heard the sound of the flux drive that granted FTL travel powering up, and then felt the thrusting force of entry as she watched the stars stretch into prismatic streams of light and waver into ribbons just before the cascading realm of something beyond the reach of any other race in the galaxy opened up and engulfed the tiny ship.


	18. The Tides of War

**2976.218**

 **Heaven's Gate System, Enigma Sector**

Three weeks. That's how long it had been since the encounter with the thought destroyed dreadnought known as the _Cunning Death_. The after action report had been met with skepticism from the Federation at best, and accusations of "insatiable warmongering" had already been heard in the Congress halls. The GFP already was decrying the encounter as an attempt to stir up fear in the galaxy, and certain anti-Terran representatives in the Congress claimed that even the black box records and their own flight data was still not enough "real evidence" of the Kromus making a renewed effort against the civilized Sol-Daiban galaxy. They were the same voices that continuously spoke against the Confederation having any kind of greater influence in the Federation's course, that humans were not "mature or deserving yet" to be allowed the power to weigh in on the policies of the greater galaxy.

And it was at this point that Adam Malkovich was starting to think the position of "Federation membership" was perhaps something Terra had been more forced to accept than actually allowed to weigh as an option two hundred years ago. History said that the Confederation had barely survived a horrific war with the Machine Empire, a war that had engulfed the entire galaxy, fought harder than any thought possible after having already waged three nearly cataclysmic wars in succession over the course of a century and a half, and winning those wars.

The Covenant, the Kilrathi, and then the Machine Empire of Andromeda. Save maybe the Sangehili, a former enemy turned ally no less, no other singular species had endured so much and come out as victors. Terra was still recovering from the Machine War of the twenty-seven hundreds, a testament to what the planet and its children had survived. As it was, the current Executive Chairman of the Federation had made his position of empathy toward Terra very stated, and was one of the blessings of the change of leadership following the Kromus War. But popularity with Terra was paid for with being unpopular in the circles that wished to see the Confederation accept a position that was more and more clearly over two hundred years one of the attack dog and not the equal.

" _Commander, sorry to bother you. Admiral Dane is on the comm, said it was a priority call._ "

With a sigh, Malkovich reached over to the com-unit aside on his desk and clicked the receiver switch. "Patch him in to my quarters. Probably wants to discuss the Federation telling us to stop rattling our sabers." An old, almost obsolete, phrase, but still it held meaning. A screen slid up from the center of his desk, greeting Adam to the grizzled and aged visage of Castor Dane, whom was clearly not having a good day himself. "I'd say good morning, sir, but it's about oh-three-hundred, and you, respectfully, look like hell."

" _Any sane person would after what you sent back and the shit storm I got from both Councilor Q'al and Chief Hardy._ " The admiral was visibly worn out himself from how he rubbed his eyes and sighed. " _Situations like this is why I wish to god we hadn't been so bad off when the Federation finally approached us after the Machine War. The Federation Congress is denying any possible suggestion of the Kromus gathering their forces again, they say we're jumping at ghosts and shadows, even though your flight records and the recovered black box data verified that it's the_ _ **Cunning Death**_ _._ "

Sadly, it was something they both had come to expect from the Galactic Federation. "Daiban doesn't want to admit the idea that the War didn't really end, we've just been in a ceasefire for eighteen years."

The admiral's image only nodded while Dane pinched the bridge of his nose. " _Chairman Kea'ton is right now fighting the Federation committee that deemed your report 'inconclusive', being that most of them are the same idiots who said the same thing over thirty years ago when I wrote my advance report on the attacks back then._ " Another sigh as he looked off screen, nodding to someone that Adam couldn't quite hear, then returned his attention to their communications link. " _Commander, right now I'm locked in to Plan Orange Nine. Police and response actions only, no active search and destroy unless maybe they end up glassing another planet. And even then, the Congress may just wait until it's one of their precious Inner Worlds before they loosen our leash._ "

How did they end up here? The Confederation, and previously the Unified Earth Government, had once been respected throughout the Orion Spur, having fought and defended their portion of the galaxy from invaders and threats since the invention of the Shaw-Fujikawa Slip Drive in the late 2300s, and furthered with the Akwende Jump Drive developed during the last years of the 2590s. The fact that the Chozo had been insisting since the Federation's founding to including the humans meant something.

And yet, for two hundred years, they had been regulated to the treatment of a 'vassal' territory rather than a member of the Congress, and they had hardly been the only ones. Others, such as the Ylfyn and the Cy'm'n, had been treated as second-class races, and a number of sentient species were still not acknowledged as such out of 'lack of proof'. And the worst part at times was the fact that many of the founding worlds of the Federation had been former vassals of the Covenant. If not for Terra, they'd would likely still be enthralled by that organization, if not dust in the solar winds of a sterilized galaxy with how _that_ was going to end up.

"The thing is that they seem to be making movements toward somewhere, but we haven't been able to figure out where that is. The last sighting put them just outside IR-271, which is at the edge of Federation space."

The admiral narrowed his brow in concern. He seemed to recognize the aforementioned region, but was silent as he gave a grimace. It did not go unnoticed, and Dane could see that Adam hadn't missed it. " _There's nothing of importance out there, no colonies or known habitable worlds besides K-2L. Unless they think they have a line on some kind of Forerunner cache-_ "

"What about Chozo, sir?"

That caused enough of a silence that Adam knew he'd hit a button. He'd read enough wartime reports to know that the Kromus had a fondness for Chozo identified technologies, and a particular case of one attempt at Forerunner relics. He'd never admit how much he was able to get into that classified report, but it was enough to know something was odd about Pirates chasing after a technology it was well established they couldn't use very well.

But Chozo technologies...that was a different matter all together.

" _If I had known you had that kind of hidden talent for getting into classified data, Commander, I'd have transferred you into Fleet Intel instead of a ship command._ " The faux scathing tone was accompanied by a snort as Dane shook his head. " _That's a possibility, I'll admit...but we also have certain safeguards watching the locations we know of. We'd hear about it if they were going for some kind of ancient Chozo trove._ "

Which Adam knew meant Samus. He didn't know _where_ her adopted Chozo caretakers lived, and thus her as well, but he knew enough that whatever planet it was had to be an important place likely hiding the technologies of their powerful and hyper-advanced ancestors. She'd told him and his brother enough in confidence to know that. "Sir, we both know that our mutual young friend probably knows more about the old Chozo colonies and capitols than anyone outside the still living Chozo has right to. But she's still only one person. And truthfully-"

The klaxon alarm interrupted Malkovich before he could finish voicing his concerns. He growled as he turned his head, then looked back at the communications screen. "Apologies, Admiral. Looks like we have some unexpected guests that just arrived. If you'll excuse me?"

Dane gave only a nod a moment before the transmission ended, leaving Adam to race from his desk and out the doors of his quarters. There was already a scramble of the crew even as he made his way to the main lift. It was a minute before the doors slid open and allowed him access to the main deck where he saw Lieutenant Archer racing for the bridge just as he was. "SitRep, Lieutenant."

"Six ships literally out of nowhere, Commander. No Akwende particle flare or any sign of jump entry." The woman was just as confused as he was even though she had said it. "Lieutenant Commander Williams ordered full red as soon as the first Kromus ID image was verified, they just jumped into the system without any sign of how they did it."

Neither slipspace nor jump drives could be used to make stealth entry into a system. Even full spectrum cloaking couldn't be used to hide a ship during FTL re-entry to normal space. How were the Kromus doing it?

"Wake Lieutenant Colonel Ryder up and get our birds hot and flying. Prep missile tubes and heat up the mass accelerator cannons as soon as gunnery crews are ready." The main bridge entry slid open as they approached, greeting Adam with the sight of the aforementioned six Kromus ships visible on the main displays. Something struck him as odd as he looked over the projected data displayed above the central holo-table. "Six to six, but we're a battle-carrier, plus we have cruisers and battlewagons, those are light frigates. What the hell are they playing at?"

A quick salute greeted him as the olive-caramel toned man wearing a pair of bronze oak clusters on his shoulder epaulets looked up from the central holo-table. A quick salute was given before attention was directed at the holographic display. "I'd apologize for waking you, sir, but it's no secret that you hardly sleep as it is."

"No apology would be needed anyway," came the unhesitant response as Malkovich eased himself into place at the corner of the holo-table. "Six war era frigates against a Confederation battle group, though...just one round from the _Tarawa's_ main guns would likely take one of them out, let alone the _Concordia's_ payloads...what are they thinking?"

Within moments, more points of light came into being visible through the main viewport, causing alarms to sound even as the holographic display reconfigured to account for what had just arrived. Seven more ships, larger this time, had suddenly appeared out of the void, seeming have just blurred into existence. Seeing it for himself, Malkovich could only stare in horror.

"How the hell did they jump in system without using the jump point?!"

The crewman who had spat those words was echoing the exact though running through his own mind. None of this made sense. First, six grossly underpowered frigates arrived almost as if they jumped into the system intentionally, and now seven more Kromus vessels, the size of which the computers were still calculating. "Those are not the usual Pirate blockade runners we see."

All of the new arrivals were coming in over the combat display to be almost a kilometer or more in size, and of types not yet in in the databases. That alone was enough to make Adam crease his brow in worry; these were _new_ ships, not war era holdovers as they had been used to dealing with. "What the hell is going on?"

The holo-display was suddenly disrupted as the pale sky-blue projection of a tall and muscularly toned woman attired in an older style Confederation uniform appeared, hair tied back into a neat bun while she held an officer's cap in her left hand. "Commander, I don't know how they're making jump in system without anything resembling a jump drive or slipdrive, but ship's high spectrum scanners are picking up unusual boson and tachyon particle energy at the point of entry. That suggests they're using some kind of FTL we're not yet familiar with."

The words were less surprising as the very presence of the holographic woman as Malkovich blinked in shock. He looked at Archer and Williams, confirming that they were just as in the dark as to what was going on. "Lieutenant, I was informed that _Concordia_ was without an Aurora Unit. Did we get a Macro AI installed in the mainframe instead, and no one told me?"

"Macro AI are still just code and processes, Commander." The projected image of the woman stepped through the tactical display and gave a half hearted salute before Malkovich, then turned on her heel to bring her gaze back to the tactical arrangement. "I, on the other hand, am something new and not on the Federation's leash like those oversized bottle brains. Specifically, I'm also the only one of my kind right now, and as yet, the Federation has no idea I even exist."

And Dane had not seen fit to tell him that the _Concordia_ was hosting an experimental AI. Another thing to the list of discussions he needed to have with the Admiral. "We'll talk about that later. Right now, your name would be helpful, and then a tactical assessment of this situation, because those are seven ships of types we have never seen before, and I don't want to be ass out in this."

The holographic woman nodded and waved her hand to bring the tactical display in closer on the Kromus side of the field. "Six raider-class frigates, plus seven unknowns. Readings indicate most of them are over a kilometer in length, and..." She paused, narrowing her brow in what appeared to be concern. She hadn't been expecting this, it seemed. "That's interesting. Particle beams, mass drivers, and more of the usual Kromus weaponry on the frigates...but the shielding of the new ships is some weird energy I'm unfamiliar with. If I had to guess based on any kind of comparison, though...I'd almost say that they're on level with-"

"Forerunner." The word was whispered with horror as Malkovich looked to the viewport in realization. The very discussion he had been having with Dane less than a hour before came back to his mind, the question of what it was the Pirates were looking for, and the pieces fell into place; it was worse than they'd thought. "Oh shit...they found a _Chozo_ ship foundry."

"Raising primary shields and powering main weapons array, Hydra MACs coming online." The AI hologram was quick to shift her position while calling up a control display in front of her to represent activating the mentioned ship systems. "Alpha Wing reports ready to launch, Beta Wing prepping to load in the tubes as soon as Alpha Wing is clear." A pause as the hologram turned her head back at Malkovich and gave him a faint smile. "Oh, and apologies, Commander. My name is Cora."

A nod as klaxons resumed blaring through the deck, causing the scramble to stations even as the first bright pink-red flares of energy beams laced out from the Kromus ships. The _Concordia's_ escorts quickly took up position just in time as those volleys impacted against fully powered shield grids, and the two battlewagons of the group brought their guns around even in mid turn, signaling with a blinding flare the release of a set of high speed ballistic rounds from the coil guns mounted to the underside. The streaking mark of the depleted-uranium shells tearing across the void at a bare percent of lightspeed was merely seconds in reaching their targets, only to ripple upon contact with the shimmering hexagon grid afterimage as the shields of the newer Kromus ships not only withstood impact, but barely looked to have been affected.

" _Herriman_ and _McKinney_ reporting no discernable drop in Kromus shields," came the report from the holographic avatar, who was expressing just as much worry in her facial features as her words conveyed. "Those were twenty-six and a half megaton impacts a piece, sir. Most Kromus capital ship of war era status would at least show sign of shield drain, if not collapse."

Which meant these new ships were a leap ahead of what they had seen in the Kromus War over two decades prior. The same volley from one battlewagon would have taken out a Kromus light frigate almost instantly. That these new ships had pretty much shrugged off the force of fifty-three megatons each was all the proof they needed that the Pirates of Krom had not been content to simple raiding and petty piracy during the supposed "peace". They had been preparing for war again, and be it salvaged Forerunner, Chozo, or some other precursor level technology they had assimilated, it was enough to make them an even bigger threat than the last time.

"They're scrambling a full launch of fighters, Commander! Over five hundred contacts, and they're closing fast!"

And they were the only ones who could warn anyone.

"Change of plans," came the low growl as Malkovich leaned in over the tactical display and punched in a series of numbers. "Magnum launch of _Concordia's_ birds, all fighters out and picking those bastards out of the void. Ready launch tubes and charge coil guns to full power. We need to find the breaking point of these new ships, and fast." His gaze shifted to the holographic avatar of the two and a half kilometer long ship's artificial intelligence. "Cora, coordinate with the battle group and get me all information you can on those new ship types. My gut says they're some kind of new strike carrier class with all those fighters they just launched, but we'll probably let the eggheads at Fleet Intel decide on that."

"Whatever they are, fighters aren't the only surprise they're packing," came Cora's worried response. Before her, a more detailed image of the new Kromus capital ship rendered, highlighting some of the more concerning traits the _Concordia's_ sensors had picked up. "I'm reading no less than three accelerated particle energy cannons spread about on the new ships, in addition to what I'm pretty sure are some kind of hardlight point defense emplacements." Her eyes widened as she turned her body around and revealed panic on her face. "Commander, APECs on those new ships are charging and preparing to fire!"

And then the bright red flare reached out and tore through the bow of the _Herriman_. The battlewagon shifted sideway from the impact as its own coilgun fixtures were consumed by the blast, followed by a second beam that practically ignored the battlewagon's shields further and slammed through the compressed durasteel armor and structure like a hot knife through already warmed butter. Moments later, a blinding flash filled space, and the expanding debris was all that remained of the once heavily armed vessel.

And the mere notion of just how much the Kromus had advanced since the end of the war was dawning further on Adam and his crew. This encounter wasn't just chance, he realized. It had been planned by the Kromus, to frightening efficiency. And they had just started a launch of all their fighters into the very reversed field. "How the hell did they take out a war era battlewagon in one shot? The only ship they had that was capable of that-"

"We've had twenty years to pick up the pace, and Daiban tried to keep us leashed," Cora replied in a calm tone, yet almost touched with a growl in her words. "This ship and I are the result of over twenty years of development and construction hidden from all eyes, Commander. There was a reason Admiral Dane kept us a secret until now."

"That DAW cloak and dagger bullshit isn't going to mean anything if we all die out here." With his eyes narrowed, Adam tapped at the close knit group of Kromus capital ships and began examining the formations, trying to find something to use to restore their advantage. "I want Alpha and Beta wings to focus on dividing their fighters and give us some room. Hydra-heads up and ready to fire on the smaller frigates, and bring us around to get the main MAC array in position so we can do some serious damage. All ships ready for defensive action as we hold position at the jump point and get ready to get the hell out of here."

"Fighters are engaging!"

It didn't take much for Adam to know that the flight coms were likely a chaotic mess; the display alone was enough. Two of their own fighter wings were engaged, over a hundred and twenty combat craft taking on the hundreds unleashed by the Kromus. At first, the Terran fighters seemed to be in the advantage as they loosened salvos that tore into the enemy attackers, explosions blossoming across the vacuum while the various Confederation fighters seemed to dance through space. And yet, as he watched, Adam realized something was wrong. The tactical projections showed the smaller raider-class frigates moving almost randomly, as if a panic, but they'd already seen what the new capital ships could do. This play of weakness was just that; an act.

"It's a god damn trap," he whispered as he furiously punched in a code on the tactical console. "Cora, notify the battle group to start falling back to the jump point, all fighters to take defensive position while we get the hell out of here."

"Sir, the attackers are primarily fang-class, those are war era fighters. They're no match for our birds."

"Commander's right, Lieutenant." AI or not, she saw the same thing he did. It took a moment for Adam to remember that despite her lack of actual experience in the field, Cora was likely on constant access with historical records and had been tailor made for her role; she was probably more prepared for the situation at hand than he was. "Those frigates aren't moving out of the way to get away from us, they're moving to block us from the jump point, and the fang-class are intentionally acting as bait."

Already, Adam could see the holographic display altering as the Kromus fighters began clustering and swarming against their own. A sure victory was quickly turning into a slaughter, and it was over confidence that had brought it on. "Those fang-class are just to get us to think we have the advantage, we're about to get slammed and lose everything unless we get out of here now."

The display suddenly went red as an alarm went off again. Cora's avatar turned sharply and dropped her new in shock as that same surge of motion was seen just as a massive vessel appeared between their battle group and the jump point. It wasn't the _Cunning Death_ , but as the ship's computers ran the render and calculations, it was revealed to still be something to worry about all the same.

"Four kilometers long, and likely armed with the same kind of weapons as those new carriers," Adam muttered under his breath. This had been an ambush by the Kromus, lull the battle group into a false sense of confidence, all to reveal what they had become capable of since the Confederation had cracked their origin planet open like a walnut. "And now they're blocking off the jump point. I don't suppose the ship has a Reconciler-type slipdrive tucked away that Admiral Dane also 'forgot' to tell me about."

Her head shook, thought the expression on her face was saying that there were, indeed, other things about the _Concordia_ that her commanding officer had not been told about. "I can't tell you all the classified capabilities of the ship, sir...but I _am_ able to enact some of them under emergency conditions."

Classified capabilities. A term Adam had long learned was code for "things the Federation would not approve of if they knew". Which sometimes was questionable at best, but in a situation like the _Concordia,_ Adam had figured out the real reason for such secrecy and the revival of the old Confederation ship registry codes. Terra was tired of being treated like a second-class vassal state while being expected to bear the burden of acting as the first line military in the event of the very situation they were facing again.

And the situation was getting worse. Backdropped by a pitched reversal that was the fighter conflict, the _McKinney_ took a heavy round from the closing Kromus vessels. The barrage was one that tore through failing shields and into the durasteel armor plating of the hull before ripping the main coilguns into a burning expanse of twisted metal shards. Another series of such energy beams slammed through the primary engines, tearing the rear of the ship free of the main superstructure in the seconds before the ship's fusion drives ruptured and consumed the entire mass in an explosion.

"Commander, I have Captain O'Hern of the _Tarawa_ on the comm."

Not like they had much they could do considering the continuing disaster. With a sigh, Malkovich keyed into the tactical console. "Captain, I wish I had a grand decisive plan of action for you, but truthfully, this is a bit more than I think any of us were told to expect. Try to make for the jump point if you can, we'll try and-"

" _Commander, all due respect to you and your damn good job as a first command, the_ _ **Concordia**_ _is far more valuable than a half-dozen fifty year old battlewagons and hundred year old strike destroyers._ " O'Hern's image gave a sign of resignation as she shook her head in the notion of knowing exactly what the young commander had been about to tell her. " _I know you came in from the Army and being expected to cover the fleet, but a ship like yours is the priority. We can't make a slipspace jump more than AUs distance at best with our Jump drives, and they can outdo that in the blink of an eye. I've already conferred with Captain Yeats and Commander LeBlanc, we'll give you and your fighters cover while you recover what's left of them, get the hell out of here and get all our combat records back to Sol._ "

They'd already made this kind of decision, behind his back. Any other officer might call it mutiny. He called it bullheadedness. "Captain, I cannot abandon my responsibility here."

" _Your responsibility is to that ship, her crew, and to the Confederation as an officer of the line. Save the Army selfless bravado for another day, get back to Sol with what happened here, and make sure these bastards pay with blood for being stupid enough to come back for round two with us._ " O'Hern turned to hear something off the holo-projector for a moment, then returned her gaze to Adam, giving him a bitter smile. " _That, son, is an order, from a captain to a commander. Now get going._ "

The image vanished just as the _Tarawa_ could be seen firing its main engines and making way toward the four kilometer long Kromus ship that stood in their way. It took a moment to realize that O'Hern had just ordered a ramming attack to buy them time while the _Dawn's Reach_ and the _Tiger's Claw_ took guarding position and began unleashing everything they had against the Kromus frigates. That was enough to remove the older frigates from the situation, leaving the _Concordia_ to do what Adam knew was their only option.

"Cora, signal emergency recovery operations," he stated. His face was full of regret, his tone that of a man who felt he had failed, again. But O'Hern had reminded him that, despite his time as being part of the rank and file of the Army, he _was_ a fleet officer now, and a ship that had taken the time and resources that had gone into the _Concordia_ was far too valuable to throw away in some idealistic last stand. The escorts were the guard; _his_ ship was the heart of the force, and had to be protected. "As soon as we get as many birds back on board as we can, we make for the jump and pray we can get past that new Kromus monster ship."

The holographic avatar slowly nodded as she tapped at the imagery of her console, yet was hesitating to reply despite relaying his orders. "Withdrawal order sent, flight deck is ready for emergency recovery operations and jump lock down once we're ready." A flicker of her eyes to the tactical display, then back to the young commander. "Sir, for what it's worth, I'm sorry our official meeting had to happen this way. Admiral Dane had wanted to make a more formal presentation of me and the Newtype AI project when things had been better situated."

"Just get us home alive, Cora, and help us make sure these people guarding our asses don't die for nothing."

A nod of agreement as Cora resumed entering the needed vectors for their jump. The _Tarawa_ had already pulled ahead and was taking a nasty beating from the Kromus super ship, but still pushing in. The destroyer's batteries were already giving everything they had, including missile tubes firing straight into the massive ship's shields. The same hexagonal grid shimmer appeared with every impact, but the unrelenting barrage seemed to be wearing the defense fields down bit by bit, until the _Tarawa_ finally pushed through the defensive attack and slammed full force the though the shields and into the Kromus supership's hull. Smaller explosions began to blossom over the destroyer's hull even as the main engines roared brighter and pushed the vessel hard into the hull of its target. The super ship slowly moved off its course, listing away as the _Concordia_ made way at full power toward the mapped gravitational fold point. Multiple crackling bursts of energy were spat in the mega carrier's direction, but the shielding of the ship was able to take the hits almost as well as the Kromus' own new defense grids.

And yet, when they got past the super-sized ship and raced toward the jump point, something was much more clear in how wrong the situation was. And it had the attention and panic of all those who could see the tactical navigation display. There was supposed to be a centralized flow-point of gravitonic and antigraviton particles where the subspace field could be threaded and opened. Yet when they arrived, no amount of scan or sweep could find it.

"Where the hell is the Vespus jump point?"

Cora was clearly disturbed. She double checked all readings, tried to find any indication of a fault in the sensor arrays; none. Everything had worked exactly as it should, except for the jump point itself. Somehow, impossibly, it was gone. "It's like it was never here," came her horrified whisper. A red glow alerted her as navigation picked up the four kilometer Kromus supership making chase after them, a ragged and gaping hole in its bow hull. The _Tarawa's_ ID image was gone, and those of the _Tiger's Claw_ and _Dawn's Reach_ blinked out just as a pair of explosions could be seen in the depths where those ID signals had been coming from.

The entire battle group, save the _Concordia_ and what was left of her still landing fighters, was gone. They were all but against a wall with a jump point that had some how disappeared without a trace, and a small Kromus fleet with some kind of new dreadnought, super carrier, or whatever it was heading for them again. And despite how much the carrier's shielding had proven itself more than to the task of withstanding assault, against these many ships, nothing would last forever.

The holographic avatar disappeared from the tactical display and reappeared at full human size via projector array to stand amount the crew. "Commander, under the desperate and extreme circumstances, I request conditional suspension of Protocol One-Nine Three-One-Three. We need to get the hell of here."

"What the hell is Protocol Nineteen Three Thirteen?" came the inquisitory question from Williams as his features creased. "Sir, this is an AI system we were not informed of by command at all, and she's so far given us very few answers as to what she is other than saying she's 'something new'." He glared at the now human sized hologram, his expression almost accusing her of the situation they were in. "There was a reason the Federation had Aurora Units replace the old Smart Type AIs as ship intelligences."

"Oh please," came the growled reply as Cora's image expressed her derision with a snort. "Those pompous speciest pigs forced the Auroras on us because they wanted the fleet on a leash, not because of problems with self-thinking AIs." She returned her attention to Adam, now holding an almost pleading look in her 'eyes'. "Sir, I can't explain right now what the Protocol relates to, because of its restrictions on me, but I promise you can ask Admiral Dane about it once we get out of here. You need to confirm a conditional suspension for me to do what I can, though, or we all are going to die."

"Commander, I strongly advise you-"

A gloved hand went up. With the ship's XO stopping on those words, it gave Adam the chance to weigh all their options. The jump point to Vespus was gone without any sign of how. They had lost their escorts, over half their fighter wing was destroyed with the survivors just now locking in after an emergency landing call, and a over half a dozen Kromus ships were closing in for the kill. Of all decisions he was faced with, the only viable option was the one he knew was suicide in any other situation.

"As of oh-three-hundred-thirty-nine hours ship's time, I am hereby confirming emergency suspension of Protocol Two-Nine Three-One-Three and enabling AI Cora with full control capacity of the TCS _Concordia._ Command override alpha-zulu-sierra-one-one-seven, authorized by Commader Adam Malkovich."

And in an instant, the screens of the bridge suddenly flickered as the holographic displays shifted in color from a pale sky blue light to shifting tones of blues and greens. Cora's avatar blinked out of existence for a brief moment, then returned with a much more confident look on her face as she swept a hand aside to created her console interface, also suddenly appearing back on the tactical display table as well. "Mainframe acknowledges emergency suspension of Protocol One-Nine Three-One-Three and has released all ship systems to my control." She gave Malkovich a wink as she turned her head back through her primary human-sized avatar. "Thank you, commander. I suggest you all buckle up and prepare for jump."

There was a lurching shudder as everyone could feel something rumble to life deep in the ship. Displays began showing that something was powering up, and fast, as Cora continued to enter commands into her visualized interface. "Quantum drives at fifty-percent charge and rising, engaging primary sublight engines and rerouting secondary engines systems power to boost defensive shielding."

"Quantum drives?" Now he was sure that Dane have been keeping quite a few secrets about this carrier and what it was capable of. "Cora, what is a quantum drive, and how is it getting us out of here."

"That is still listed as highly classified," came the snappy and very teasing response as the AI avatar continued her work in both of her projections, which were looking to be undertaking separate tasks from each other at the same time. "But what I _can_ tell you, sir...is that we didn't just sit on our butts for twenty years and freeze research even when the Federation quietly told us to."

There was a lurch, causing the bridge crew to stumble in the moment it took for the artificial gravity systems to compensate for the sudden increase of speed. "Issuing an all hands to jump stations alert," came the almost embarrassed quip while Cora's larger avatar sheepishly smiled to the command crew. "I did say buckle up and prepare for jump."

The suggestion was taken seriously as the bridge crew pulled themselves into various station seats and strapped down even as the entire ship began to rumble. Whatever the hidden system Cora activated was, it was pushing the _Concordia_ well past its actual maximum velocity. "Sir, sublight speeds hitting two hundred and fifty kilometers a second, and still rising! The ship shouldn't be able to do this!"

They had well entered fighter craft levels of speed, but the further question beyond how was why. "Cora, this kind of acceleration is going to shake the ship apart!"

"Hardly, sir." The AI grinned as she noticed the looks on the human crew's faces as the starscape of space seemed to stretch into lines of prismatic color, slowly rippling into ribbons, and a blur-white point of light began to grow larger directly ahead of them. "Quantum drives at eighty percent...eighty-five...one hundred...one ten..."

The _Concordia_ itself was tearing through space at a speed even the Pirates couldn't understand. Several fighters broken formations to attempt chasing after the carrier, but the automated anti-fighter defense guns were at the command of a hyper intelligent and highly capable artificial lifeform that was housed within the most advanced ship created by humans in centuries.

"Commander, I'm reading a huge surge of tachyon bosons and meson particles directly ahead, similar to the ones we picked up when the Kromus appeared in system!"

And judging from the manic grin on Cora's face, Malkovich knew that she was well aware of what she was doing, as well as realization of what that "classified sector" of the ship really contained. "Cora, what's our status?!" The rumbling of the ship as it continued accelerating even faster kept him from trying to stand, but Adam wanted to know exactly what was about to happen to them.

"Quantum drives at one hundred and twenty percent output, warp jump will be reached in five...four...three..."

The last seconds elapsed as they reached the surging flare of blue-white light, and for the occupants of the _Concordia_ , time stopped. Everything in that instant was frozen, a moment locked in eternity. The ship itself was flung into a strange realm of flickering colors, tendrils of light wrapping about the hull even as crackling surges crisscrossed the superstructure. It was both falling yet not through the strange realm, reaching toward a point that almost seemed to be a mirror, reflecting the _Concordia's_ image back at it as the vessel neared.

And as the mega-carrier touched against the filamented reflection, the _Concordia_ erupted back into what they crew would recognize as real space, stars back in place as glowing points of light while nebulae gases reformed around them. The entire vessel was shaken as it entered the normal plane of dimensions, causing the crew to be thrown against harnesses or off their feet if they had not headed the warning. A thin layer of ice that had somehow formed on the hull cracked and broke away to float off in the vacuum, leaving the ship appearing as it had moments before.

And despite no time seeming to have passed, the crew knew something had happened.

"All decks, status report," Adam ordered as he undid the harness of his seat and slowly stood to assess the bridge. So far, save some shaken and confused crewmen, every one looked to have survived. "Cora, I want a full ship report of what happened."

"A successful warp jump, commander." The AI hologram gave a sigh of relief as her smaller duplicate standing among the tactical display vanished, leaving just the human sized avatar remaining on the bridge. "I'm not authorized to tell you all the details, but we were the first human ship to enter the quantum slipstream in nearly six hundred years."

He'd heard that term before. And it stuck in his mind who it was who had told him about the slipstream before, and who primarily used it. "We have a flux drive," the young commander whispered under his breath. No wonder Dane hadn't told him; Adam was one of the few humans who would recognized Chozo technology when they saw it. It was also likely why the admiral had put him in command. Dane was known for playing a hand very close to the chest, but this was a move even Adam couldn't see the meaning in.

Which meant Dane was planning for something. And his gut told him that they had just gotten a glimpse of what that was.

"I asked for a ship report from all decks, and then someone tell me where we are, because it sure as hell ain't Heaven's Gate or Vespus out there."

"Shit on a stick, sir." That was the navigation con, his mouth agape while he looked over at Malkovich to see and verify what to be was looking at. "Commander, if all charts are right, we're in _Sol_ , at the outskirts of Saturn orbit."

That confirmed his suspicions; _Concordia_ was housing some experimental new drive system that put even the Reclaimer-class slipspace drives to shame. Sixty-three light-years had been traveled in what the chronometers revealed had been a matter of minutes once they adjusted, taking them right where they wanted to go. That also meant getting back to fleet command on Terra and reporting to Admiral Dane directly with record of what happened, and some questions he wanted answers to.

"Helm, lay in a course for Sol Station. Notify system defense to keep an eye out for anyone who might try to follow us, but get us home."

There was no time to waste if what happened in the Heaven's Gate system had just been the beginning.


	19. The Pendulum Moment

**2976.219**

 **Galactic Federation Science Research Vessel _Marina_**  
 **Cygnus-Orion Transit**

It was the middle of the ship's night cycle. More automated drones were manning the stations, with a bare minimal organic crew overseeing the drones to make sure they didn't accidentally run into an asteroid or something similar. The SRV _Marina_ was on the sixth month of its cataloging rounds; recording stellar phenomenon, any strange gaseous objects, and picking up data from any active science probes. Despite the code string designation of the region they were in, the _Marina_ was a good distance outside of Federation space, in the stretch of the Orion Spur between the Perseus Transition and the intersection with the expanse of the Cygnus Arm. It was where the outer reaches had already give way into the extremely vast Unknown Regions of the galaxy, and every small find could mean something to the Science Academy.

The captain of the _Marina_ was an Alphinian; tall, hairless blue-grey skin, lankily built, and possessed of slower, almost deliberated, movements. The large dark orbs of her eyes were glistening as she read over a data tablet while seated in the command chair of the _Marina's_ bridge. More probe data, most of it cataloging gaseous anomalies and gravitational irregularities that could indicate new Jump Points. Mostly standard findings, with little to give in terms of a really significant discovery.

"A new package of reports from the deep space probes, Captain Taun We." The bridge drone hovered before her, breaking the captain from her bored trance. "Per orders from the Science Academy, it is recommended that you review the latest data as soon as possible."

A tired nod was the only answer that Taun We afforded the drone unit. She wanted to get to her sleep cycle, but the night rotation needed a command member present, and she had drawn the short end in the attempt to keep things fair with her staff. Captain or not, they were commissioned by the Science Academy on Daiban, not some military like in the Confederation. "I would appreciate your assistance with that, Ee-Nine, I've been reviewing these probe bundles since the night cycle started."

"As you request, Captain. Four new Jump Lines have been recorded by Deep Probe AT-17613, gravitonic trace tracks these new lines to areas in the Cygnus Arm region. Nebulae regions in the Cygnus Arm were recorded by Probe TK-42163 and compared to current record observed data, allowing for updates to twenty-seven astronomical features to fifty-three servers. And one new planet with lifeforms observed not currently in any recorded database, in the star system designated NGC-37388, no known planetary designations beyond system listings."

"Which probe recorded that?"

"There was no attached catalogue, Captain Taun We." The drone showed no reaction, but such was very unusual information to the Alphinian. "The transmission pack came in from what looks to be an older pre-Reformation probe based on modulated frequencies."

Taun We tilted her head in a curious fashion. Almost all deep space probes sent into unknown space had a cataloguing number. And one from before the Reformation would be close to three hundred years old. Most anything in those times was also from before hyperburst communications were widespread. "NGC-37388...I'm not familiar with that location. What information do we have?"

"System is in the Pendulum Nebula, seventeen parsecs from our current location. Data indicates that NGC-37388 is a binary system with three planets, but one of the paired stars is in fact a low stellar-mass singularity located one point three-five astronomical units distance from the partner A-class main sequence white-blue star. The planet in question, current designation listing NCG-37388-C, is located four point six-three astronomical units outside of the paired orbit and is the only orbital within the projected habitation zone."

A quantum gravitational singularity binary system. Taun We frowned as she pulled up the calculations render and punched in the needed numbers. "How far out from the singularity is the system's major jump point?"

"Six astronomical units. Adequate safe distance from a class-two stellar mass singularity for entry via the jump point. I have pulled up the jump line data for you, Captain."

Examining the plotted route, Taun We found that the destination vectors were indeed safe enough, and recording a previously unknown life form certainly would be a huge boost to her career, and possibly get her reassigned to a different sector than the dead end nowhere of the Cygnus Arm. The source of the data was suspect, however. An uncatalogued probe that gave frequency modulation from before the Reformation of 2687 would generally mean that the probe had been put here since about the late 2700s. The data was likely a century old, but the region was not actually yet surveyed and explored. It might still be worthwhile.

And again, the accolades for discovering significant new life forms on a previously unknown planet would make it worth the trip. It was about three days via the needed jump points, enough time to send a hyperburst to the Science Academy and inform them of the change of course. "Lay in the vectors, Ee-Nine, and have a brief of what we know about the system readied for me before tomorrow evening. I expect to have all the available information before we make the last jump point."

"Acknowledged, Captain. I expect you will be taking your sleep cycle soon. Should I schedule a crew briefing for tomorrow before we make the first jump point?"

A nod as she stood from her seat. It was about time for her shift to end, thankfully, and the briefing could wait until she had gotten her sleep cycle. Even if her species only need sleep every two or three standard day cycles, sleep still was appreciated when it came. "Have first officer Gr'mal review the flight plan while I rest, and I'll conduct a briefing after I inform the Science Academy."

"Acknowledged, Captain Taun We. Briefing will be schedule for oh-nine hundred hours, and first jump will be plotted for fourteen hundred hours. Expected arrival to NGC-37388 will be in four days."

* * *

 **2976.223**

The bright white-blue light of the burning main sequence star twisted away in a stream of plasmic matter toward the point of utter pure black void that lay some distance from the star, surrounded by a swirling corona torus of burning hot gases and plasma while a stream of gases erupted from either 'pole' of the spherical void that was roughly forty kilometers in diameter. Three planets hung in space in orbit around the pair, the innermost planet a barren world that had long ago been stripped of any kind of biosphere due to close proximity to the highly active pair and exposure to the plasmic trail. It was barely half an astronomical unit out from the burning central star of the system, giving it a high speed orbit that was flinging it right between the star and the singularity that would eventually consume it.

The second planet was situated better, but radiated a lethal glow that revealed its inhabitable nature. Cracks along the crust exposed the sickly green light that spilled out from an exposed mantle of radioactive materials and nuclear level molten materials. Plumes of what looked expelled ash and glowing green 'magma' arced between points on the planet, revealing something that defied so much which should have been the laws of physics.

The third planet, however, was covered by deep emerald clouds and had a yellow-green coloration to the few bodies of visible water. Storms visibly gathered on one side of the planet, swirling in green masses over the viridian hued surface, while a pair of moons silently orbited.

Further out in the system, the blue-white flare of space-time opening signaled inter-system entry as the _Marina_ emerged seconds later. The ship's hull was still crackling from the stabilization fields that protected it from the folded point of space-time and its energies during the near-instantaneous transit. With the raging rift sweeping back in on itself, the science vessel re-orientated itself after a needed time to get the bearings of the system, now making way inward toward the third planet.

It was following the micro-hop via slipspace that the _Marina_ carefully settled itself in orbit around the third planet. There was already a probe launched to survey the surface, and while the conditions were unsurprisingly hostile, they weren't impossible; it was survivable. Which led then to the next step that the crew of the _Marina_ faced; making planet fall and landing safely to further investigate the survey data from a probe that was likely two hundred years old.

"There's some odd activity in what looks like the native lifeforms on this peninsula here," the first officer noted as it pointed to the holographic projection which displayed the region that they were charting to make planet side arrival. "Nothing so far on the surface really goes beyond a class-three rating, mostly looks like basic herbivore and small scavenger carnivore species. Shouldn't be any real danger to us."

The captain set her gaze at the planetary image, slowly rubbing her cheek as she contemplated the situation. "The probe data indicated some new lifeform that had never been seen before, but none of these are matching what we found in that data, unique as they are."

"Could be something that lives in the subterranean zones, initial readings show a network of caverns nearby the area indicated in the probe data."

It still wasn't adding up, but they were here and even what their own drones had found was valuable data. It was possible, as the first officer had noted, that the larger lifeforms were subterranean, and perhaps only surfaced at night. No matter what, the stop was going to be valuable.

"Prep the dropship and suit up in full sealed enviro-armor. I want a full geared pair of teams, including the Tee-Fifteen defense units and the particle shield generators. Just because we're a science vessel doesn't mean we go in there blind and stupid." Taun We glanced to the squat amphibious Gr'mal with a particular tilt of her head. "Make sure those Tee-Fifteen units come back operational, they cost the Science Academy two hundred and twenty million seguru a piece."

The first officer gave a low _croak_ vocalization as it smirked to the captain. "And to think, that was the discounted price."

With the Q'roq'us first officer now making its way to the main lift, Captain Taun We gave a sigh of resignation. Gr'mal had a questionable sense of humor, but it was a skilled and experienced officer of the Science Academy exploration corps. Loyal as well, and she was grateful to have it as her first officer on this long assignment. If they ended up being reassigned from this dead-end region of the galaxy, she'd make sure to insist on the Q'roq'us remaining her second.

"Just don't throw your mass around too much, you crazy saurian."

A thud as the dropship released from the hanger bay of the _Marina_ , drifting out into the expanse with a slight motion toward the planet below. After a moment, the forward thrusters flared to life while orientation jets jostled the craft around to direct its course at the surface. A storm system was visible in the upper hemisphere, but nothing that would blow near the dropship's projected landing zone. After clearing distance between it and the _Marina,_ the small landing vessel fired its main drives and shot forward, soon reaching the outer atmosphere regions as wisps of entry plasma flickered around the ship's phase shielding. Within seconds, a full corona of superheated air enveloped the dropship, only to fade away as entry reached into the stratosphere. Retro jets fired and allowed the vessel to realign itself and fire the main drives again as it shot over the landscape of the planet.

Coming near an upthrust of a mountain side, the dropship roared to a halt and slowly descended to the surface. As the craft touched down at last, several green-yellow amphibious creatures hopped away as fast as their two legs would carry them. Dust and rock were blown about as the landing thrusters eased the ship down, then discharged with a final burst. After a long minute, the back of the dropship gave a _hiss_ before releasing and swinging downs to convert into a landing ramp.

Moments later, six full enviro-armored figures emerged, followed by four large mechanized units equipped with heavy weapons and containment gear. The bulkier set of the humanoids clad in enviro-armor took a cursory look over the area as it pulled its weapon unit free and pumped the charging action. An instant later, the unit expanded into a long and wide particle rifle, a low whine emanating from the weapon to signal it was powered and ready.

"Is that really a T-53 APS?"

One of the landing team trying to break the tense silence. Gr'mal didn't blame her. It was an impressive tool. "Qikost Merchant Assembly, fresh off the line about three standard cycles ago. One of their first compression storage models on the available non-military market."

"Must have cost a pretty Seguru to get one. I thought the Sangheili didn't sell to many outsiders besides the Terrans."

A slow nod as the team and their automaton escorts stepped down off the landing ramp and onto the planet's surface. The white-blue light of the main star of the system flickered as it could be seen swirling away toward the invisible point that was the system's singularity, a reminder of how much in the universe was an invisible danger. "The exchange ratio was brutal, but it's worth the quality. Cost about a month's pay to get this piece of art."

"Think you'll actually get a chance to test it out here?"

The Q'roq'us gave a grunted chuckle as the unit split up and sent half the team off in one direction, while it lead its quartet toward the nearby cavern entry. "Obviously, as an officer of the Science Academy, it is always desirable to avoid the use of violent force in any situation." That being said, Gr'mal gave its companion an anticipatory grin. "However, in the name of science and due examination of an as yet untested tool of defensive capabilities..."

The Yl'vin female, Acxa, gave a laugh as the other organic member of their team shook his head and sighed at Gr'mal's remark, though it was obvious they we both entertained. "Even when you saurians drop your own eggs completely solo, there's still enough of you that love a good explosion to question the whole lack of bio-gender you claim."

"It's lack of bio-gender division," the gruff reply came as Gr'mal shouldered its particle rifle while hopping over a large rock. "Technically, we fit the classification of biological hermaphrodite species, since every one of us can gestate and self-fertilize our eggs for procreation, but we don't have any of the dimorphism characteristics most species do. So we don't bother with gender labels since we don't have use for them."

"Don't the Kromus do the same thing?"

The insulted snort signaled that Gr'mal wasn't exactly amused by the comment from the Divolu member of their unit. "Only in that they don't seem to need any reproductive cycle besides laying a shit ton of eggs and breeding like damn roaches." Now on steady ground, it hefted its particle rifle back into both hands while continuing toward the cavern entry, black spherical eyes watching carefully even as the visor systems of its armor was relaying data into the translucent information display. "Nothing too weird so far. Apart from the fact these are all unidentified species, nothing is reading like that probe data."

The T-15 unit took a step into the cavern entry as slits on its head lit up and widened to illuminate the depths of the mountain cave. It would have continued in order to run point ahead of the organic crew, but a squelch from the coms caused all those involved to halt. Gr'mal frowned as it tapped the responder switch, sure that there had been something actually said. "Beta Team lead Ez'r, this is First Officer Gr'mal. Say again?"

Another squelch, this time something could be more clearly heard. "Sounded like she's screaming." Acxa knit her brow as she noticed the Divolu tense up. More static and the snippets of screams and some kind of shouting over the intercom channels, which was the signal to Gr'mal as it turned face and began sprinting back in the direction of the dropship, with its companions and the T-15 unit trailing behind it as the Q'roq'us hurried in the direction of Beta Team's biometric signals. More squelches, only now the voices were becoming more clear, and the sounds of weapons discharge and shouting could be picked up even without the com lines.

"Ez'r just went off the biometric status, Nerti's are showing heightened adrenaline and anxiety!"

"All the excuse I need." With a growl, Gr'mal pulled the powering action and took a running leap over a series of rocks as the exploration team raced past the landing site of the dropship. Short burst boosters mounted in the backplate of Gr'mal's enviro-armor fired to allow the saurian a flying jump across the rocky landscape, its pace becoming frantic as a scream was heard very clearly just past an uprise. A bounding sprint, backplate jets firing to slow its descent to the earth, and then side eyes of horrified shock as Gr'mal got a good look at what they had heard.

The accompanying T-15 unit was strewn on the ground, sparks snapping out from its crushed in head. The particle field containment grid it had been carrying was smashed open on the ground, glowing green fluids splattered on the yellowish-brown rocks. What was left of the organic crew was even more horrific to take in; a pair of enviro-armors rested on the earth, face down, while the third figure was frozen in place, hands stopped in what looked to be an effort to push something away.

"Nine hells," came the whispered utterance from the Divolu member of Gr'mal's team. He took a few steps over to one of the collapsed enviro-armors and carefully turned the figure over, revealing that only dust remained inside the normally protective suit. After a moment of shock, the other armor was lifted to reveal the same condition. "What happened to them? What kind of _thing_ does this?"

Gr'mal was looking around with narrowed cautious eyes as it stepped over to the still standing form of who the locators identified as Nerti. Shifting about, the Q'roq'us gave a pained sigh as it saw the state of what one had been Nerti's face; sunken in, ashen in color, and twisted in anguish. After a few more long seconds, the armor slumped into a heap as the body inside crumbled apart as dust. "Swift roads to Vol'ku'va, Nerti. Your gods watch over you."

A soft _chirp_ sound garnered the surviving team's attention. Gr'mal snapped its particle rifle up and aimed as they saw a small half-meter wide creature hover up from behind the nearby rocks. It was topped by a translucent green membrane dome with veins and a quadric set of red nuclei visible within. The underside was a pink tone of reddish flesh with a small pair of mandible fangs protruding forward, and a larger pair toward the central sides of its underbelly. It rose further, chirping again in what almost sounded like curiosity.

"There is no way that thing did this," the Divolu stated in disbelief. He tilted his head inside the enviro-armor helmet, looking at the strange floating creature while it hovered in the air and turned about as if it were looking at them, despite the lack of any discernable optical organs. Another chirping as it shook both sets of mandible, then suddenly surged forward and flipped its underside upward just before it slammed into the Divolu with a meaty _thud_. He began screaming as sparks shot out of where the fangs penetrated his enviro-armor, trying to force the creature to let go, but its grip only got stronger while the mandible dug deeper into his armor, crushing the metal plating and causing more sparks to flying. "Get it off, get it off!"

Gr'mal took aim, trying to make sure it wouldn't hit the Divolu, but the creature was moving them both far too erratically to be safe. More screams as the Divolu dropped to the ground, still unable to pry the creature off of him as his voice went higher in pitch. The fangs had penetrated through armor and into flesh now, and after a few seconds, the screams suddenly became a gurgle while tendrils of almost electric blue-white light pulled out of his body and into the creature through its mandibles. Acxa was stepping away in horror while the T-15 moved into position with the particle field containment unit, leaving Gr'mal to accept that their remaining compatriot was done for and take the shot. "Sorry, but you deserve better than this."

A piercing _crack_ of the particle burst exploding out of the rifle's muzzle was enough as the bright flare of energy crossed the distance and took only an instant to rip through the Divolu's enviro-armor and end his pain. The creature, in response, gave a very angry screech as it release the armored corpse and turned toward Gr'mal with its front pair of mandibles shaking. Another charge, though this time, it was sent flying aside as a second burst round fired and impacted directly into the translucent greenish dome membrane.

Yet, a second later, that angry screech and a hiss came as the creature rose back up, shocking both Gr'mal and Acxa. It reared in the air, rushing forward again, only now slamming into the bright yellow crackle of the containment field as the T-15 finally was able to activate the unit it carried. The projected field wrapped around the creature now, keeping it imprisoned even while it slammed against the energy barrier. Again, it threw itself against the containment field, only for escape to be denied it.

"What the nine hells is that thing and what did it do to Kro'lak?!"

Gr'mal grunted as it walked over to the Divolu's corpse and sighed; he was already crumbled into dusted, just like the other team had been. "Hate to say it, but I think this thing was what that probe data was talking about," the saurian grimly noted as it stood back up and triggered the rifle back into its collapsed compression state. "Get it into hazard containment on the dropship, and notify the captain, we're heading back."

There wasn't anything left of their lost comrades to take back, sadly.

* * *

The creature shipped as it floated in the reinforced containment chamber aboard the _Marina_. Taun We narrowed her black orb in concern as she contemplated Gr'mal's debriefing about what had happened and the biometric data they had recorded. Six hours since the horrifying first news had come to them. While this certainly seemed to match what the ancient probe data had given them, it was unsettling to say the least that this creature had not only chewed through enviro-armor rated to survived some of the most hostile biospheres, and had done so previously, but had done something that drained all life energy out of its victims and left only an unstable mass of null energy particles.

"We lost four exemplary crew to this thing... I hope it's worth the price we paid to catch it."

"Have you ever seen something that sucks energy out of anything it latches to?" Gr'mal gave a tap to the containment chamber's viewport, eliciting a clicking hiss from the creature. "I'm sure the academy will have tons of fun trying to figure out what this thing is and how it does what it did to Kro'lak and the others. It wasn't even blood or anything tangible, just drained them, and their remains crumbled into dust."

A nod, though pained and full of regret. "I'll write up the messages to their respective significant relations myself. It's the least I can do, especially for Ez'r's brood." Always the least desired part of a captain's duties, and despite rarely ever having to pen such communications, Taun We always dreaded the day it was necessary. "Get ready for the jump out of this hellhole system, we need to get back to Daiban as soon as we can to deliver this thing."

"That's gonna be at least a month just to get back into Federation territory, and another two to three without a serious assist from someone with higher end slipdrives than we have."

"The Confederation has an outpost in Sigma Eri at the edge of Federation space. Use the jump drives to conserve power where we can, and use the Fornax slipdrives to cut the distance where we don't have a direct jump line back." After a moment, Taun We bit her lip in contemplation. "Actually, fire up the Fornax drive now, Ee-Nine, I want to get the hell out of here as soon as possible."

The done floated down briefly to approximate a nod before heading off to carry out its orders, though Gr'mal was still not convinced. "We've been relying on the Jump drive this entire tour, Captain. Navcoms will take some time to make the field calculations to keep the ship safe in slipspace for that kind of trip."

"We'll be back in the main region of the Cygnus Transit by day's end instead of another four days hopping from here." It was obvious Taun We had no desire to stay in the system any longer than required. After they had lost a quarter of their crew to one creature, it wasn't like any on the ship could argue the sentiment. "We may not go as fast as the human's glorified precious fleet or the Sangheili and those monstrous ships of theirs, but I'd rather get back to Daiban and get that thing off my ship as soon as possible than spend possibly our entire tour thus far just jumping back. A few hours to have the Navcom AIs change processes for a higher workload is worth it."

There was a shudder, a perceptible shift in the ship's gravitational center. Taun We and Gr'mal glanced at each other, then at the containment chamber that held their captive specimen. "That was odd, that almost felt like the gravitonic displacement when entering slipspace."

"The Fornax drives wouldn't even be warmed up yet," came the first officer's reply as both of them made way out of the observation lab and to the primary lift. There was an odd creaking as the ship seemed to shift again, eliciting the black orbs that were Taun We's eyes to narrow in concern. "We're far enough from the system's singularity that it wouldn't affect us, what's causing those shifts?"

Another shudder, causing a momentary flicker as the lifted stopped suddenly. Moments later, another flicker of the displays and lights, and the lift resumed its motion. As soon as the doors opened on arrival at the bridge deck, both captain and first officer hurried down the corridor to the bridge doors, hoping to find answers. "Ee-Nine, tell me that was-"

"We have a problem, Captain Taun We."

Her blood ran cold as she saw what was outside now sharing planetary orbit with them. Three massive ships, all over a kilometer in length each, and while the computers had no matches for the designs, the very deliberate blade-like construction was one any who had lived through the war almost two decades ended knew should be feared.

"Tell me I'm not seeing what I think I'm seeing."

"Screens don't display hallucinations like this," Gr'mal replied as it hurried down to the navigation station. Even as Taun We claimed her command seat, the first officer had taken up the post once held by the now gone Kro'lak and was already quick to look for any way out. "Acxa, I need you on station now. L'frg needs to heat up that Fornax drive now, or we're all about to be -"

And then the rumble shook through the _Marina_ like thunder. No sound should have been detectable in the expanse of space itself, but once the captain and her first officer saw the source of the displacement, nothing else mattered. Over six kilometers long, shaped like a claw blade, and the evil no doubt within it simply radiated even through the visual displays. It had appeared literally from nothingness, but the waves of gravitational displacement it had generated were greater than any ship had any right producing. They both knew what it meant.

"The _Cunning Death_ ," Taun We whispered in horror. She remembered well the horrors of the Kromus War and the devastations this vessel had wrought on the galaxy. Planets burned to lifeless rocks, entire fleets decimated in a single shot. It had taken the combined force of the Confederation and the Sangheili to hold this monster at bay during the final conflict over the Kromus home world nearly twenty years prior, and all reports had said it had died along with Krom.

And yet, here it was, as pristine as when it first appeared in the war. Inspiring the same fear that it had then, only now, the crew of the _Marina_ weren't safe behind a holo projector in their homes far from the frontlines of a war.

Suddenly. Taun We found herself regretting her ill comments about the humans and their Sangheili allies and the value both put on their military forces.

And then the holo-communications array came to life, projecting a towering figure that made both Alphinian and Q'roq'us go pale as the blood almost literally froze in their veins. There was no mistaking the face that looked down on them, the glowing red-yellow eyes, and even thought it was merely a holographic projection, those eyes seemed to radiate heat right at them.

" _I must admit, when we were coming here, we didn't expect other visitors._ " Gleaming teeth flashed into a malicious grin. " _No need to run, however. I'm sure there is much about the planet below you have to share with us over a nice exchange and some dinner._ "

Taun We was _very much_ regretting her attitudes toward the Terrans now.


	20. Declassified

**2976.223**

 **Sol Station, Jupiter Orbit**

It had been a matter of hours since the _Concordia_ finally made berth with the massive orbital central command of the Fleet. Adam normally was a patient man, but in light of losing his entire battle group and narrowly escaping with his ship and crew, with the aid of a secret hyper-advance AI and classified engine drives no less, his tolerance for secrets had run out. The call to Admiral Dane had been made as soon as they made contact, which left the young commander to prepare everything they had. And now, he was all but storming his way to the admiral's station-side offices as he didn't wait for the message chime to announce him.

As it was, Dane was already expecting him. "I'm sorry about what happened, Commander Malkovich." He was still looking out the viewport at the raging red storm far down below on Jupiter. "If it helps, I'm not holding you responsible at all, Cora already sent me the black box data from _Tarawa_ and the _Tiger's Claw_."

"Not responsible?" the young officer snapped angrily. "All due respect, admiral, I _was_ damn well responsible for over two thousand men and women who died in efforts to cover our asses while we ran, in part because I was _not_ informed of what my ship is host to, what it's capable of, and because we were ambushed by a force we weren't _supposed_ to expect."

The admiral sighed. He didn't blame Adam at all for the rage. But he needed to channel it. Temper the fury into something they could better use in the coming conflict. "Cora and her creation have been a heavily guarded secret since the Kromus War, just like the _Concordia._." After taking a deep breath, Dane turned to see the anger in Malkovich's eyes. That had been far too expected after reading Cora's report of what had happened. "I'm sorry I didn't tell you everything about the ship, but there are a lot of people beyond merely the Pirates who have an interest in seeing the Confederation brought down low and put on a tighter leash than we already are."

"Did you know that the Kromus have a Chozo ship foundry?"

His calm aged eyes went wide as he turned his body in full now. "They have a _what?_ "

"At least three new ship types, including a four kilometer dreadnought, and they jumped in system without any signs of slipspace, or using the jump point." He was all but fuming as the entire incident came back. "Five ships gone in a matter of minutes, sir. Those weapons and defenses were comparable to what we know of Forerunner, which we know the Kromus have a serious difficulty using, which means Chozo. They were intentionally there, to send us a message."

Dane was silent as he looked out the viewport again, contemplating what he had learn. After a long silence, his gaze returned to Adam just before he started walking and gestured for the younger officer to follow him into the main corridors. "Chairman Kea'ton is trying to get the Galactic Congress to recognize there was no actual end to the Kromus War, even if that bastard Ridley has been dead for almost twenty years. Q'al is still ranting that we're 'violent, angry paranoid fools' and is behind the insistence on Orange Nine."

Something Adam was sadly familiar with. They'd been fortunate as it was that Q'al and his faction hadn't blocked them on his battle group being set to handle policing actions with the Kromus pirate factions. The fact that the Fro'mal Party and their staunch stance on "remind the Terrans of their place" had not thrown a fit about the reveal of the _Concordia_ had truthfully been more surprising than if they had said anything. "Considering Q'al and his party were opposed to the original declaration of war on the Kromus in the first place thirty years ago, I truthfully get the impression he has some reason for giving the Pirates so much room to breath." Where was Dane leading him, he wondered. "We've never been in the business of genocide-"

"We left that to the Covenant until four hundred years ago."

Crude, but at the same time, true. "But we never should have just left the Kromus to scatter throughout the Sol-Daiban Galaxy after we dropped a fifty gigaton seismic resonation bomb on their home planet. What worked on the Kilrathi three hundred years ago isn't always a guarantee with another war-obsessed race."

A nod was Dane's further response as they continued down the main corridor. "Vog'l insisted we had to be better than the Kromus, but even we didn't expect them to literally scatter like roaches into the uncharted regions of our galaxy and the Magellanic Clouds." It was almost ironic that the nearby viewport was facing in a direction to observe both stellar cloud galaxies in question. "Now we have no less than a trillion of them scurrying in our galaxy, and even if their great supreme commander is gone, there's always a chance that one of them might stand out and pull an Atriox."

"We may be looking at that, Admiral." With a sigh, Adam held out the data tablet he had carried in with him. "This is everything we have, from the first encounter with the _Cunning Death_ to the attack in the Heaven's Gate system. Cora compiled it with everything else we've encountered since we left Sol System as well, and there has been definite coordination going on.".

The Admiral paused but a moment to take the proffered device and pulled up the data in question. While he held his composure, his face was revealing his concern as his eyes scanned over the reports and the prediction diagrams. "Cora ran these numbers?" he asked, receiving a confirming nod in response. "Damn. She's got the entire network processing power of the _Concordia_ to run simulations, I definitely don't take anything she predicts lightly. This is exactly what I've be warning the Federation about since the massacre in K-2L."

"I'd appreciate knowing more about the ship you put me in command of, Admiral." He knew it wasn't subtle, but Adam had never been a subtle man in his career. It came from being part of the army for over a decade. "I have been on every type of FTL capable vessel in Confed. I know jump drive, I know the Fornax drive, and as rare as they are for us, I know Reclaimer-class drives. Whatever the hell is on my ship is decisively _not_ a slipdrive of any kind, and Cora said we entered the quantum slipstream."

Silence. It was something that wasn't of expected of a man like Dane. It as enough of a surprise that Malkovich found himself a bit taken back. The admiral simply led him down the corridor and to a lift, waiting for Adam to enter before keying in a destination command on the keypad. It was then, as they were sealed in for their journey, that he spoke again.

"Commander Malkovich, there are a number of thing you have to understand about the ship I entrusted to you. Not just Cora, but her purpose, what she carries inside her, and the things that cannot get out about what she is capable of." Dane gave a heavy sigh as he leaned on the wall of the lift, as if now revealing an enormous weight he carried on his shoulders. Whatever secrets he was hiding, it was obvious now that he didn't like the reasons. "The truth is, _Concordia_ is something we began even as we were knee deep in the Kromus War, and what she carries inside was started even further back...we just couldn't power the damn thing until recently."

"So it _is_ a Chozo flux drive."

He blinked in confusion at the younger officer. Not for shock of being found out, but in honest uncertainty as to the conclusion Adam had declared. "Flux drive? Son, I have no hesitation in admitting we have no way of building a Chozo FTL drive, and you are the one person I know I can tell the truth of it if we _could_."

That didn't make sense, at least not to Malkovich. "But Cora specifically said we were the first humans to enter the quantum slipstream in-"

"Oh, that little terminology." Now the admiral was chuckling as he shook his head. "As brilliant as the mind who cracked the zero energy equation, but her comprehension is a bit off and missing experience." The lift jolted to a halt, doors sliding open to admit them to a level that Adam noticed was far more guarded than one would expect _inside_ Sol Station. The stationed marines moved to block him as Dane walked past them, but a gesture from the admiral halted them in their tracks. "Commander Malkovich has provisional clearance under my authority, he's good to see what we have down here."

A nod from both as they resumed their stations, allowing Adam to pass by and catch up with his superior. "I wouldn't expect marine security set up this deep in ConFleet headquarters, sir. What's down here?"

"The Department of Advanced Warfare."

The infamous and feared Confederation Armed Forces development and intelligence section. Centuries ago, their predecessor was known as the Office of Naval Intelligence, famous in history texts for spearheading the projects that saved humanity from annihilation during the Covenant War. Succeeded by Confederation Fleet Intelligence and later the Strategic Readiness Agency, until the near collapse of the Confederation in the Machine War. It was the early 2900s that saw the birth of Advanced Warfare, founded under the guidance of then Rear Admiral Ezra Tadashi just before the Kromus were identified as the perpetrators of the raids that had been plaguing the Federation in 2913. Ever since, much of what was known outside of rumors and department myth was that DAW contained the best kept secrets in the Confederation , and it was perhaps better _not_ to know them.

"I'm not privy to most of what they do, but some things, like Cora and the _Concordia_ , are in my scope." A number of turns deeper into the bowels of Sol Station and its den of military secrets. "The special drive array that allowed your very expedient escape and return to Sol is one of them, it's called a quantum wave engine."

"As in wave motion theory?"

A nod as Dane placed his hand against a security scanner at the sealed junction now before them. A moment went by as the palm scan zone glowed, followed by a tight beam sweep of the admiral's face and retinal patterns. After a long silence, the heavy doors split and slid apart to allow them entry. "The very same, Commander. We've had a number of reasonably intact drives since the end of the Machine War, but no way to power them on the level they required." The heavy security doors slowly shut behind them as Adam followed the admiral further into whatever den of black boxed operation he was leading the commander into. "It wasn't until DAW and AMDC worked together on the ÆSIR project that we got a breakthrough into outright zero point energy. Not quite Forerunner or Machine Empire level, but it was enough to start testing the drives and figure out how to build our own again."

Again? That implied that humans had used wave motion technology before. "Was Confed SRA testing it in the Kilrathi War? I remember reading the Behemoth flap that occurred toward the end of the conflict, but I didn't think-"

"That, commander, had been a dead end that gathered support out of desperation. We haven't had wave motion based drives since the Gamilas were wiped out by the first Machine War in the late 2200s and our own wave motion fleet was decimated."

Definitely a history he had not learned. It meant that the old adage of history serving the needs of those in power was still more true than ever. How long that truth had been hidden was probably something Adam knew was best not to ponder or inquire. Sometimes, it was better not to know. "So the _Concordia_ is a reconstruction of those drives?" The reply was an amused shake of Dane's head. "Machine Empire, then?"

"Definite research basis, combined with our understanding of Forerunner power technologies, and some help here and there." They stopped at a long observation window, and as Dane gestured for Adam to look down, it was obvious now just how deep this went. In addition to the obviously human engineer teams down in the bay deck, Adam could see at least two or three floating blue creatures with elongated eel-like heads and tentacle form limbs. He'd read enough documents both restricted and not to know what they were, and it explained quite a bit now.

"I wanted to tell you sooner, son," came the apology from Dane as he clapped Adam on the shoulder. "But until now in this station, it hasn't been safe. We have a new form of Wave Motion drive, and it runs even better than the one on the UNCN _Yamato_ over seven hundred years ago. _Concordia_ is a strong lady, and she's capable of so much that I want to tell you. But we're still not able to match the Machine Empire for speed or brute power."

And now it hit him. Why _he_ was let in on the secret. "Or these new Kromus ships with their ability to jump into systems without any kind of trace." He'd already seen what the fleet was preparing for, that's why Dane was willing to bring him into this section of Advanced Warfare's space side facilities. And that's when another realization hit him; the _Cunning Death._ " _Concordia_ was designed to match the _Cunning Death_ joule for joule of power, and it's the ZPE issue that's limiting her."

No answer. But silence did more to confirm the conclusion and the questions behind why they had sent a ship of the size and importance of the _Concordia_ fresh off the ship yards and into a "policing" tour. Intelligence had no doubt suspected that the Kromus were up to something, and despite the declarations by then Chairman Vog'l that the _Cunning Death_ had been destroyed in the aftermath of Krom's death, no one really believed that the feared vessel was gone, and that had been clear for the last eighteen years. This was never a policing task, it had been preparation and proving exactly what Terra had been warning the Federation about for almost twenty years.

And then the unintended price they paid for forcing the fleet to make due with ships that were fifty to a hundred years old.

"So why raise up an army captain into the fleet and hand him command of a carrier that's more heavily armed than a battlewagon?"

The admiral sighed. It was obvious he'd been anticipating this discussion for some time now. With a shrug of his shoulders, Dane looked down at the bay deck and took a deep breath. "Because I don't want someone who thinks like a fleet officer, I want someone who knows being on the ground and front lines and thinks like a field commander."

Someone who could lead in a war. The words were carefully chosen to appease if ever asked the same question by the Federation, but the meaning was clear; Dane expected war. If this was indeed part of some grand arrangement in preparation for a second and even more horrific round of the Kromus invasions, then someone higher up than Dane also believed it was coming again and had signed off on all of this. And then, something else clicked. He would wait on it, but conversations they had been involved in were now appearing to be far more related than they otherwise seemed.

"When do I head back out?" He assumed he would be sent back into the thick of things as soon as a stronger battle group was formed, likely to be headed by a senior experienced captain, but Dane hadn't indicated a lack of faith in _him_. If anything, he had a very good area of his expertise, but he just wasn't experienced in commanding a ship yet.

"You're not."

Now Adam was staring at the admiral with a mix of confusion and shock. He had just said he wanted someone with ground combat experience in a place of command. If there was something coming at the, then the only option was to regroup their forces and get back out to hunt the Kromus leaders down and eliminate the threat. "Sir, I don't under-"

"I'm not sending you out ill equipped for what we're looking at, Malkovich." He turned his head away from the observation window, now meeting Adams's confused eyes. "Cora is already transferring all her data to the DAW database, and we need more than one new carrier and half a dozen aging escorts for this. You and your crew have been through enough to warrant shore leave." A faint smile tugged at the old man's lips. "Go home, spend time with your family, and get ready for what we know is coming."

Hesitation came, a pause that Adam did not miss. It was brief, but long enough that he knew there was worry behind the encouragement. Dane believed that they had hardly seen the worst of what the Kromus were capable of. Many a time had he made it clear that he thought of the victory at Krom to be a fluke at best, and a planned calculation at worst. There was much about that months long operation that even his talents and seeking information had not been able to find the truth of, but Adam knew one thing; the massive fleet gathered between Confederation and Sangheili forces that went into the Magellanic Cloud had been over sixty capital class vessels. Including the _Olympus_ and the monstrous CSO class _Ardent Contrition_ , only a third of them had come back, and many Confederation vessels had been decommissioned upon return.

"A shuttle will get you back to Terra by the end of the day, we have some work to do to _Concordia_ before she's ready to sail again." Again, that telling hesitation to continue. Dane had more he wanted to say, but couldn't yet. Something was already being planned. It was entirely possible that to a point, this had always been the plan. They just had not expected the Kromus to have surged forward this much to where the entire battle group had been wiped out. "I'll keep in touch as we prepare the fleet to mobilize. Once we deal with GalFed's hold up to let us do our jobs, we'll have to move quick to get underway as soon as possible."

A nod, a salute, and then, before he turned, Adam realized two things. The first was that he would likely be detained if he went anywhere in this section of Sol Station without the admiral. The second was that he was likely to not see his family for quite some time after this leave his crew was being given. And Dane had not indicated how long they had. It could be a matter of weeks, or even months depending on how much of a fight the Federation Congress gave them. At least this time, they had the Chairman on their side instead of trying to block them.

"Let's get you home, son. Last I heard, you had another baby due soon, may as well make sure you don't miss him joining us in the world."

Well, that was at least one immediate quandary resolved.


	21. Broken Muses

**2976.225**

 **The Quantum Slipstream, En Route to Dakona System**

The prismatic hues of the strange other realm continued to surge and flicker around the tiny red and yellow craft as it raced though the chaotic planescape, nebulous strands of gaseous clouds flitting in exchange as they glided over the extending curved wings of the craft and the main hull. Ever since its mad escape from Zebes, the tiny vessel had been traveling through the mysterious plane known to the Chozo as the slipstream, yet still had not emerged to its destination despite being capable of speeds in the range of ten parsecs or more an hour.

Whether it was a malfunction or a quirk of its locked-in autopilot commands, the small craft was still speeding through the hyper-dimension. It was inside that the wear of what had happened on Zebes became evident. The blonde girl whom had barely turned eighteen years of age was curled up still in the pilot's seat, her cheeks stained from the tears while a soft blue light was projecting down on her, a stabilizing stasis field that kept the young woman in a sleep for the journey to her destination. Food and drink was less concerning with the stasis field, allowing her to extend what supplies had been stored aboard longer than if she had remained awake.

Yet it could not take away the nightmares that had plagued her all her life, compounding even more with the invasion she had narrowly escaped. Reliving the events that had been the massacre of K-2L, feeling herself locking up and unable to do anything, had been just as traumatic as enduring the Kromus invasion itself. She didn't want to remember, but everything haunted her now. Azure Path's broken and wound riddled corpse, Platinum Chest's horrifying screams, and the wet _crunch_ she could hear as she and Maru had fled.

Maru. His last act of locking her in the small runabout craft and setting the autopilot to the nearest friendly territory, all before he had thrown himself into the fire and fought off as many Kromus as he could. She had no idea if he was still alive or dead, but Kromus were not exactly known for taking prisoners. She had been the only survivor of K-2L, a testament to their brutality that no one else on the colony had escaped. That fact had been enough keep her from coming out of stasis for days now. The thought of losing her strongest example of a parental figure and often her only emotional support was enough to make Samus withdraw completely.

" _ **Deactivating stasis field, preparing to depart slipstream. Restoring life support levels to active.**_ "

The blonde girl slowly blinked as the blue field fizzled and faded, returning her to the waking world. After a moment, Samus sighed and sat up in the pilot's seat as her eyes blearily looked around and took in what was going on. "Are we finally there?" she muttered as she walked about at the main cabin. Her powered suit and its containment chamber were at the back of the ship, status readouts displaying the constant array of diagnostic tests being run. In a storage divider at the central area of the cabin was a small station for food and drink dispersal, which she had been using sparsely as she didn't know how long it would take to arrive at Calliope IX. Normally, a flux drive of mark two or better grade should have been able to get a small ship like this from Zebes and into civilized space within a few standard day units. It had been seven, according the chronometers, since she had escaped Zebes. Something had to be wrong if the ship could maintain slipspace travel this long, yet was taking a week or more to reach its destination.

And then, as stated by the ship's navcom AI, the cascading realm of the slipstream began wavering moments before the tunnel-like plane withdrew from around the craft and deposited the tiny vessel into normal space. Immediately she could see the Dakona system; two main sequence stars ranging with over thirty astronomical units between them and a much smaller dwarf star in the further distance. Navcom renders revealed six gas giant planets in orbits around the trinary stars, and dozens of moons that could be considered planets themselves orbiting those. One of the gas giants, then, was Calliope, with one of the habitable moons in orbit being Calliope IX.

"I need to contact Dane." Anxiety was already kicking up at the thought of that had been going on back on Zebes since she left. "Confed has to know, they have to send the fleet out there, secrecy be damned..."

Sublight engines roared to life and brought the lithe little ship about on a course for the third gas giant from Dakona-A, the smaller yellow-white star of the primary two solar masses. The Navcom had brought the ship back into normal space just outside the orbit of Calliope, and more importantly, outside of the gas giant's gravity well. That meant based on the cruising speed the ship was at, she'd be arriving within just an hour and a half.

Somehow, that didn't help calm the panic attack she could feel building up.

* * *

 **Clio City, Calliope IX**

Of all the planets considered to be throwaway backwaters that no one would miss if it suddenly ceased to be, Calliope IX would be in the top ten of the list, despite being a moon. The colony was one Terra often wished they had not been forced to settle, but the early days of reconstruction following the Machine War had been one of careful politics with the Galactic Federation as they had all but in official words forced 'membership' on the humans. As a result, the colony had been dumped unceremoniously on the muddy moon after surveys had found what seemed to have been vast quantities of titanium in the crust. It had been prosperous for the first few decades, as mining operations rooted and expanded over the surface, but easier processed sources and the development of compressed durasteel alloy left the colony with a recession once resources began to become expanded for sooner than thought, until any desirability it once had held was gone.

After that, the only thing of value had been the quartz, moldavite and peridot veins, as well as the occasional platinum and tungsten finds. Beyond that, Calliope IX was more useful as a penal colony since the throttling of its economy, and sending prisoners to serve as indentured labor there was cheaper than trying to sell legitimate migration of new blood colonists as an option.

At the center of it all was Clio City, once the original mining outpost almost two hundred years ago, now developed into what passed for a capitol for a total population of maybe a few hundred thousand, excluding the prison sector. Named after some long nearly forgotten figure of mythology of same roots as its mother planet's designation, Clio had taken a ramshackle visage as of the last few decades, as the last of the titanium veins had been cleaned out during the Kromus War, leaving only a few precious metals and the gem veins. Even the civilian residents, many having been born into mining families that had been on the moon since it was first colonized, had become more than a touch embittered and resentful of the Federation at large, as well as with the Confederation for not offering more than token support since the war ended.

Yet remaining a colony of the Confederation was better than defiant "independence". The Dakona system was on the opposite side of Confed controlled space from the Border Worlds Union, leaving it without any semblance of protection if, in the extremely low chance of it happening, that they were raided. And after the Landerich had been effectively wiped off the galactic charts during the Kromus War, it was better to be a token effort than to be all alone. It also didn't help matters that an entire sector region of the moon was the penal colony, and as minimal as it was, the presence of the containment staff and Confederation military police kept them in better relations than the more obviously negligent Federation.

Just a number of kilometers outside Clio City was one of the main moldavite mines. Equipment breakdowns were unfortunately common, requiring frequent repairs that often were preformed by prison sector inmates than actual contracted mechanics. One of those repairs had just been completed, allowing the primary drills to resume operations even while smoke was belched out of its engine drive.

"Why can't we just get one of those new Axium plasma drills and just be done with it?" One of the junior supervisors sighed and set his data tablet down on a table while looking out the plexisteel viewport at the ground operations. "This rust bucket laser bore has been in operation since before I was born."

"If you have twenty million seguru lying around, seeing as Cortamin refuses to take Confederation credits, and the jeweler companies sure as hell isn't going to pony up the cash when the laser bores are still working seventy percent of the time." The primary unit manager looked up from her work load, noting the morose expression on her subordinate's face. "Facts are facts, Gil. This mud pile hasn't been relevant to the Federation since Daiban came and tapped out all the titanium veins right in the middle of the war. Confed wasn't happy about that, because they needed it for the shipyards, and my old man never got a straight answer back when he ran operations here as to why Daiban nearly screwed over the fleet."

A shrug. The old history lesson was an often repeated one. Much of the operations management was family held, as the manager had noted, but nepotism was hardly the issue. The lack of any real oversight from a company management had been something the colony and operations had come to accept long ago, and so long as the person in charge was competent at their job and could earn the respect due to their position, who they were related to didn't matter.

" _Miss Keiths, this Clio City space traffic control, please respond._ "

The woman blinked for a second in confusion before reaching over to the comunit and tapping the response switch. "This is Chief Keiths, confirming. Not often I get a call from you boys."

" _I tried contacting the local MP unit, but they just told me to get you and let your office handle this._ " There was a tone of apology in the voice coming from the small communication unit. " _There's an untagged craft that appeared out of nowhere just past the magnetosphere, we're still not sure how it got there._ "

"Probably some new Confed slipspace capable test craft and they don't want Daiban seeing it in the central systems," Gil said with a grumble as he walked over and sat down by the hard metal desk. "Someone probably didn't think we were worth notifying."

" _It's registering as just a bit over fighter craft sized, sir. Too small for a slipdrive, and none of the usual energy readings from a Jump or a slipspace vector have shown up. It just literally appeared without any sign of how it got here...and its coming in for landing just outside the mines you're at._ "

That information got Andrea Keiths' attention as she looked at Gil and frowned. Even slipdrive was obvious in exit vector, just as much as a jump point. They might be a backwater mining colony on a mud ball of a moon, but she still knew basic subspace travel. "Gil, get site security. Have them meet me where this thing lands. Control, I want a projection on landing, relay it to the security team here."

" _Make them actually work for their paychecks?_ "

Keiths gave an amused snort as she opened the drawer of her desk and pulled out a large taser shock gun, checked the power cell, then slipped it into the back band of her pants before clipping her comunit to her belt. "Yeah, but I'm pretty sure that if this is some kind of pirate raider, their rent-a-cop asses are still useless." She checked the messages coordinates for projected touch down of the vessel and gestured for Gil to follow. "You drive better than I do, Watts. Let's hurry and get there before it does."

With a nod, Gil Watts followed his supervising manager out of the main site control office and down the lift to a waiting transport carrier. "Keep that drill going while we check something out!" he shouted to the main crew, then loaded himself into the driver's seat of the repulsor craft while Keiths slid in on the passenger side. After confirming his authorization to operate the vehicle and powering the engine drive, Gil pushed the throttle lever and steered the craft down the main road until they saw the streak of an object flying down toward them, still glowing red from atmospheric entry. It was an odd design, red with a yellow bottom section and a pair of elongated wings jutting out from under the cockpit to curve back and frame the main body. Definitely not what one expected for a pirate craft, and it was being far too obvious in its appearance and descent for a scout or a lone raider.

By the time they reached the projected landing coordinates, the local security unit was waiting for them. Most of them were locals, hired by an out of system corporation that had been given special license by the Federation to the sector for how much they cut costs and had paid off the senators who had sway over the contracting offices. The upside was, no off-worlders of note with an ego and a badge that made them think they were in charge. The downside was, no one outside the prison sector military police had any skill worth a damn if things blew up. And even that was debatable.

"Are we really out here for some lost cargo hauler again?"

"Stow the jokes," Keiths growled as she pulled herself out of the carrier and raised a pair of electro-binocs to her face. The microcomputers ran calculations as they locked on the incoming craft and gave a gauge of how quickly it was approaching. "I know Mej'ith pays shit, but it's not like you actually have to do much for a hundred credits an hour." It was coming in decently fast, and definitely under power as it was exceeding thirteen hundred kilometers an hour. "They sure as hell are in a hurry, whoever they are."

For a moment, it looked as if the craft was in fact out of control and on a course to slam into the moon's surface at full atmospheric thrust. Yet just as it was near enough to make the group of half a dozen men and women drop for cover, there was a high pitched roar of retrojets and overclocked repulsors firing to bring the craft to a sudden and surprisingly controlled halt. The energy field and rapid air pressure shift was enough to blow a couple unprepared members of the security team off their feet as the craft reorientated itself to a clearer landing area, then settled into place with the repulsor field allowing the vessel to hover above the ground.

And then, other than the low hum of the repulsor field, it was quiet. Keiths looked over at Gil, uncertainty in her eyes, but the situation was here in front of them. She took a step toward the craft, cautiously approaching it and running a hand over the cooled yellow lower hull. It was then that the woman noticed faint precision etched markings in the surface, a writing system, maybe, that she didn't recognize. That wasn't too hard as the Dakona system was rather isolated save the occasional cargo hauler and once in a blue moon precious gems merchant coming through.

"Do you think anyone is actually in this thing?"

As if on cue, there was a banging from inside the craft. Keiths took a step back, turned her head, and groaned to see the security unit trying to subtly back away themselves. Her repeated comments about 'rent-a-cops' were sadly proving more true than venting frustration. If the military police over at the prison sector wasn't so eager to brush off things like this, despite it being their job to investigate the kind of situation they were looking at, this would be much better handled.

"Is there a hatch on this thing, or an access panel? Someone is in that thing!"

And then there was a hissing sound as something swung open from the rear, revealing a cargo hatch of some kind that landed one side against the ground and revealed a girl, no more than seventeen or eighteen, who stumbled out and caught her footing just in time to not fall on her face. She looked around, blue-green eyes wide with could only be described as panic, and her blonde hair was clearly disheveled and a bit grimy after what looked to have been days since she last showered. The same could be said for the blue jumpsuit she was wearing, with several blackened stains in the fabric.

"I need Dane...Someone get me Admiral Dane, right now!" She looked around, as if expecting some kind of immediate response to her wild demand. "Why are you all just staring at me? Someone call up Confleet headquarters and get me Admiral Castor Dane, this is an emergency!"

The lead of the security unit gave a gruff snort as he walked toward her, hands raised to lead her into assuming him non-threatening. "I can tell a hypo-junkie when I see one. Probably stole the ship from some rich Confie with too much money and got too much of a high before they started hitting jump points." Now his hands were lowered to show he intended to make sure she didn't struggle. "Come on, let's find out where your parents are, kid. I'm sure the guy you stole this from will be nice and not press too many charges."

She looked at him in abject horror. "What? No, I told you, I need to reach Admiral Castor Dane, it's the Kromus!" The blonde girl was clearly past the edge of panic as she backed away from the approaching security unit. "They've taken Zebes, he has to know and mobilized the fleets!"

"She's probably on stardust combined with a mental breakdown," one of the other security officers stated as she pulled out an elecro-stun baton. "No need for the MPs, we can handle this, Miss Keiths. A nice million volt charge to knock her out and a few nights in a cell should sober her up, and we can find out who owns this thing."

Her eyes went narrow suddenly as, just when the security officer approached, the blonde girl whipped a hand out and swat the stun baton away, then moved almost like a blur as she slammed her other hand like a piledriver into the uniformed woman's chest. The impact sent the security officer flying back almost ten feet, leaving her curled in a fetal position and clutching her sides. The girl, meanwhile, had taken up a hunched guarding posture, centering her weight in the fashion of someone who had clearly been military trained.

"I said...I need to talk to Admiral Castor Dane, Seventh Fleet, Confederation Naval Operations Command." The blonde glowered at the stunned group before her, her feet shifting to root her center of gravity in case she had to further act. "My name is Samus Aran, I'm the daughter of Captain John Aran, and I need to warn the fleet that the Kromus have taken Zebes!"

"Little girl, do you know where you are? Whatever shit you're on, doesn't change that Confed ain't exactly a warm welcomed group here since dumping a penal colony sector on us."

Another one of the security officers stalked in on her, causing the girl to give what almost sounded like an angry bird chuff. Ignoring it, the larger man made his way in, only to be welcomed with a rapid series of impact against his head and chest as the girl moved almost too fast to be seen. A pair of quick punches caused him to spit out a glob of blood and saliva, leaving him open as she twisted her own form around and brought a sharp scissor kick in an upward motion that caught him by the chin, and with a faint _crack_ , sent him to the ground.

"Admiral Dane," came her hissed words, her eyes narrowed like a hawk preparing to strike prey. "Zebes has been taken, this is not a joke. The Chozo need help _now_."

The lead of the unit took a moment , drawing out the hand blaster harnessed at his leg, but the speed at which the girl moved was blinding as she did the same, and her weapon discharged a flaring bright blue burst that slammed into him with a loud crackle while his body convulsed in reaction to the high energy electrical charge he had been shot with.

Yet when she spun toward Keiths, the girl found a pair of wires latching to her chest in the split second before she was hit with an electrical charge that normally would have dropped someone twice her size. Instead, it made her grind her teeth and drop to a knee as she could smell the ozone from electrical burns, but she was still conscious. "You assholes attacked me first, all I wanted is-"

Another surge of the taser shot through the wires, this time charged as high as the device could go, causing the blonde to scream, but she was still resisting, against all logic. Keiths was close to panic, as the hand unit she had brought only had so much charge, and this girl who couldn't weigh more than a hundred and fifty pounds was all but tanking over ten million volts at almost sixty milliamps. Enough in anyone else to nearly kill an average grown human adult, but she was gritting her teeth and trying to grab the tether wires. Yet the time it took for the girl to wrap her hand around the wires, a second set of electrodes snapped out and caught on her skin, allowing a second high charge to hit her nervous system. Seconds later, the girl collapsed, an occasional twitch from the high voltage that had been run through her.

"Shit," came Gil's exclamation of shock as he unlocked the load cartridge on his taser hand gun. "She just took like...that had to be over twenty million volts and enough amps to kill a bull elephant. How the hell was she still functioning after you hit her with that first surge?"

Keiths only shook her head as she dropped the hand unit she had been holding and walked over to where the girl was still having small twitches. She was breathing still, but the fact she had taken all that charge just to go down was indicating there was something else going on besides just a high strung addict. "Even stardust doesn't hype the system that much," the woman muttered under her breath. What was going on here?

"Holy hell, you see the size of this hand cannon she was packing?" The remaining security officer who had not been incapacitated was standing over the girl, examining the large silver hand blaster that had taken their local lead person out in a shot. Compared to the tasers they all had been carrying, the blaster was massive. "Its like a DE-45 Eagle Magnum they used to give the ÆSIRs as standard issue in the war. Those things had enough recoil tear a man's arm off, how the hell was she one handing this beast?"

Keiths didn't respond. Energy based or not, the size of the hand blaster in question indicated it could have done a lot more than just incapacitate the target, and that they had been lucky. This girl wasn't anymore than maybe five foot nine, looked to weigh about a hundred and fifty or so pounds, and yet she had taken out three trained and armed security officers on her own. Admittedly, _they_ had threatened to electro-stun her when she had just been begging them for help for something regarding...Zebes? But that wasn't exactly something they were likely going to admit to if they could avoid it, not when they were technically five miles off the mining grounds, and legally not on company fielded property. And as long as no one went into the video files of the security unit's body cams, no one would call them out. "Call Captain Harper at the prison, tell him we got a crazy one...and see if they can get this thing towed out of here so we can figure out later where they both came from..."

For once, Andrea Keiths wished things on Calliope IX had stayed dull.


	22. A Bird in a Cage

Author's note: There were recently some adjustments made for both flow and pacing. Originally this was chapter 20, and Broken Muses formerly chapter 19, but after thought once the now currently placed chapter 20, Declassified, was finished, the chapter order was adjusted to reflect the timeline of the dating stamps used to note the progression of events. Apologies for any confusion.

* * *

 **2961.227**

 **Afloraltite Mining Colony K-2L**

The air was thick with smoke blotting the darkening green sky, screams coming from the small town across the plains. They were running, racing away from the town under the cover of twilight. A rabbit style stuffed animal was clutched tightly in her little arms, about half her own size, while she herself was carried frantically by the tall woman with reddish blonde hair and blue eyes. A pulse rifle was slung around the woman's broad shoulders, shaking and slapping against her back as she hurried to get them away from the burning city.

"Mama, why?!"

Kromus had no reason to anything they did. Nothing would make that any different, even trying to explain it to a three-year-old little girl. "We need to find papa," she exclaimed as she continued to run through the long grass plains. They could hear the reports of energy bursts in the distance, the sound of a high-caliber automatic pulse rifle that they both recognized. "John!" the woman cried out. "God, this is insane...John!"

There was a rustling in the tall grass moments before several sets of glowing red-yellow eyes appeared to rise up, dark forms framing those points like they were hot coals. The woman came to a halt, shifting the girl in her arms even while grabbing the grip of the pulse rifle and bringing it about to aim and fire at the insectoid crustaceans. Crackling screams echoed as the alien raiders were riddled with particle pulses, finally collapsing and allowing the humans to continue deeper into the plains.

Another round of pulse reports, this time followed by a high pitched screech that seemed to rise up in the air. It wasn't a death cry like the pirates that she had just killed, leaving the woman to halt suddenly. More shots, another screech, and then the sound of a concussive grenade going off. She knew who that had to be.

"John Rodney Aran, we did not survive a twelve year war and that damn siege on Krom together just for you to die on me here," she muttered as she readjusted her daughter, let the pulse rifle fall back behind her back, and started running again toward the forest where she could see the smoke start rising up from the grenade charge they'd heard.

"John!"

The sound of rushing air culminated in a heavy thud as a large dark form landed before them. A cruel chuckle as the hunched over shape uncurled, a long tail unwrapping and rising to reveal the three foot long spear-like tip while a massive wing span opened up. Glowing red-yellow peered out at them, and the white gleam of a maw of sharp teeth opened into a malicious grin.

And then, it laughed. A terrible, high pitch, cackling laugh.

"Going somewhere, little human?"

The toddler was lowered to the ground and nudged back be behind the taller woman. It was once she was sure her daughter was shielded that she gripped the pulse rifle and brought it up to aim at the massive dark form. "Stay behind mama." A heavy click as she pulled the action of the grenade launcher of the pulse rifle and loaded the explosive into the chamber. "It's going to be okay, sweetie."

The creature cackled as flames licked out from between its teeth. It dropped down to stand on all fours, tail curling around as it fold in its wings in and tense its body. "Oh yes...It will all be over soon." Smoke rose out of the open jaws of the creature as it laughed, framing its face like some kind of demon. "In flames...and utter agony!"

" _MAMA!_ "

Flames erupted out of its mouth, racing at the woman as the little girl screamed, only for a roaring explosion to throw the creature back with a screech. The woman quickly picked her daughter up again and ran as fast as she could before the monster could recover from the grenade she had fired just as it was unleashing its fiery breath. They had gotten further into the forest, almost to where the earlier explosion had drawn their course. "John! God damnit, please be alive!"

A rush of heat overhead came slamming down to explode and set the trees before them on fire before they could reach the clearing. Another thud, and the creature was behind them. Its face was burnt, bits of skin blown off in the explosion to expose muscle, but it was grinning as it raised its haunches and stalked toward them on all fours. "I remember you...Aran's damned mate. So you're the mother of that tiny, delicious looking spawn who was foolish enough to tell me her name, trying to 'befriend' me." Another cackle as it closed in while the woman and her daughter backed toward the burning trees. "To think, a pitiful little human child having delusions of garnering favor with the cunning god of death, and she turns out to be the spawn of the human scum who _humiliated_ me..." That flame licked grin came back as the hellfire eyes narrowed. "Such delectable irony...I think I'll have her for a snack _now_."

The creature lunged forward, and all she remembered was the gunfire and the screams...

* * *

 **2976.229**

 **Erato Prison Sector, Calliope-IX**

She awoke with a start, gasping for air as pain shot through her lungs. After several harsh coughs, the blonde youth clutched her chest. Her jumpsuit was a bit torn, but intact. After a moment, she looked around as her eyes adjusted to the low light of wherever it was she had ended up. Bleak pemracrete walls surrounded her, no windows, and only a low humming plexisteel panel indicated a way in or out.

She'd been thrown in a prison cell on Calliope-IX.

"You always warned me, Sergeant Xim," she muttered as she swung her legs around and slowly stood up. Muscles were a bit sore still, as she recalled being hit with at least two tasers before she had blacked out. From what she had learned back in the academy, the amount of volts and amperage that would have been charged through her body could have killed any other human. The fact she was still sore even after however long it had been was not surprising. That left her concerns as getting out of this cell and contacting Admiral Dane back on Terra.

And conveniently, there was a monitoring camera in the upper ceiling corner of the cell. That was enough for her as she walked over to stand right below the camera, well within its line of sight, and looked straight up at it. "I assume you have video-audio receiver holo-transmission vector, so if someone can come let me the hell of here and let me speak to Admiral Dane, then maybe this whole thing and throwing me in a jail cell can be overlooked." Silence. "My name is Samus Aran, my father was Captain Jonathan Rodney Aran of the Terran Confederation Army Corp, ÆSIR Special Forces, One-Hundred and Seventeenth. Unit nickname was the Spartans, big and famous in the Kromus War. I need to speak with Admiral Castor Dane, ConFleet Naval Command operations, flag admiral of the Seventh Fleet about the security of planet FS-176-2."

Nothing still. The blonde sighed and sat down on the lone stool of her cell, contemplating possible options. Once she could tell someone of actual authority what happened, she should be free to contact Dane and tell him about the invasion. The problem was, her gut told her that the security guards, who had blatantly said they were going to electro _her_ for no reason other than she was panicking, were not going to admit what they did was illegal. She knew that from her lessons on twenty-third century Terra and the issues with the mega-corporates' abuses of legal loopholes to strong arm and dodge laws. It was why the biggest corporation of the time had been seized and liquidated by the government after the massive host of laws broken without compunction had gotten out.

"You corporate assholes are just digging your own graves with this."

There was a squelch just before a blue tinted holoimage appeared before her, projected from the same camera she'd addressed previously. The man appearing there looked in his late thirties, possibly early forties, and was wearing what Samus recognized as a Confederation military police active field uniform. " _While we're running your facial ID through the Federation database, I thought I'd have a word with the supposed Dust sniffer that I had handed off to me by Mej'ith rent a cops._ " The image shifted to include a chair as the man speaking with her pulled one into the broadcast area. Now he sat, positioned as if interrogating her. " _So...my name is Captain Roland Harper. I've been told you arrived in some supposedly stolen ship and somehow jumped into Dakona, and that when you landed and they tried to find out what was going on, you simply attacked. I have reasons to doubt a chunk of that story already, but facts I do see are two security guards with broken ribs, a shattered jaw, and one hell of an electro pulse shock that the third guy is still not walking off yet. And then there's you._ " The image shifted his posture in the chair while pointing in a direction to indicate Samus herself. " _Five-nine, weight is barely over one-twenty-five, and yet somehow, you did the kind of damage we saw armored ÆSIRs do in wartime reports when I was a kid._ "

Her breath was caught for a moment. In her panic and anger out by the Chozo runabout, she'd forgotten to rein her abnormal strength in. The results were...rather obvious, the comparison was already in place. "My father was John Aran, and he was an ÆSIR, Captain Harper."

" _So you claim, Miss 'Aran'. But John Aran died fifteen years ago on an afloraltite mining colony in a Pirate raid gone bad, along with everyone else on that planet, including any family he had with him._ " Again the captain's image shifted. " _And I may be stationed on this mud ball little hellhole, but I still went through officer school and learned my military history. They stopped ÆSIR enhancements right after the war because Daiban didn't want to front the costs more than they had to and needed the resources elsewhere. So I'm quite interested in how the hell you did what you did._ "

And the holo-projector cut off, leaving Samus further with no answers and more frustration. She clicked her tongue under her breath, then finally gave into her rage, let out an angry series of chirps, and slammed a fist into the wall.

* * *

"Shit, did she really just punch out half an inch of permacrete?"

Captain Harper could not help but appreciate what they had just witnessed. "Still think those Mej'ith rent a cops aren't being honest with what happened, but she definitely can do a number on you." He moved his chair back over into the nook of his station and let out a deep sigh. It had been less than twenty-four hours since the moldavite mines supervisor had requested they pick up this, rather unusual 'hypo-head', as they had called her. They insisted that she had walked out of some ship, that they claim clearly was stolen, and had just attacked them. He already had reason to doubt the claims of 'just doing our jobs', and found it more likely the girl had in fact broken some bones in self-defense. But, she _had_ put three of them in the local med center with nasty broken bones and a hell of an electric pulse shock, as he'd told her. Be it likely self-defense or not, she had gone overboard. And then claiming she needed to talk to Admiral Dane, a rather taller order in concept alone, and that she was daughter of John Aran.

"So I put in that ID request, but it may take a few weeks, Captain." One of his subordinates set down a data tablet for Harper and gave an apologetic shrug. "Dakona-B is having some flares that are gonna slowdown the transmission, since we don't exactly rate high on the equipment list out here."

"Probably would have taken at least a week anyway," Harper replied as he picked up the tablet and began to peruse the file displayed. Primarily a weekly report on the prison workers, any problems had, and maintenance logs. Once again, the mines had requisitioned a number of prisoners for mechanical work on the aging drills and processing equipment, plus the manual labor of the mined gems and what precious metals remained. "Guess miss 'Samus Aran' is just gonna have to be patient and sit tight like a good little girl while we verify that crazy claim."

The MP corporal tilted his head up upon hearing that name. "She said her name is Aran?"

"Yeah, specifically said her dad was John 'Captain Confed' Aran of the Kromus War." Harper gave the corporal a glance as he noticed something about the enlisted man's expression seemed off. "Meyers, don't tell me they stopped teaching everyone about the ÆSIRs and how John Aran 'saved the galaxy' with his Spartans."

"Actually sir, I was thinking maybe we should signal ConFleet and at least notify Admiral Dane." The corporal looked slightly nervous as he looked at the security feed from the isolation cell currently occupied by the blonde girl. "She might be telling the truth, my cousin told me a couple years ago about a girl in her class out at Mountain Point who was John Aran's daughter...I think she said her name was Sansa or Samantha, something like that." He seemed to squint a bit as he studied the girl's face, even as she was sulking in the cell corner. "Have to admit, she is his spitting image. Said she was pretty, but a hell of a temper, and had some nasty rumors following her real fast. Wonder what a cadet would be doing all the way out here, though, she should be fourth year by now."

That information made Harper knit his brow. On the one hand, an ID request was sent put and should be back within weeks. That would answer questioned for sure. On the other, Meyers might be right, and sending a message to ConFleet command might not be a bad idea. It would take even longer for that to go through, but at least there would already be some answers about her by the time the admiral responded. "Send the message to the admiral's box then, let him know a 'Samus Aran' is requesting him regarding some planet designated FS-176-2. We may be looking at a month at least before we get a reply with no hyperburst relay, so she best behave in the meantime."

"What about that ship she came with? Keiths claims it was on company property, but region maps say it was sitting five miles out from the registered grounds when we picked it up."

Well, that further verified that Mej'ith's security unit was trying to cover their hides, and Andrea Keiths was not in a position to not back them for the sake of saving face. Still, questions still were there as to how a little ship like that had gotten this far out from the center of civilization, especially if she was whom she claimed she was, and was supposed to be some army officer cadet. "I say we move it into the isolation hanger for now and keep it under lock. Something that made that kind of jump probably is a ConFleet slip capable prototype, and something we don't want the prisoners or local workers messing with."

"I'll have Flores move the thing in. Should be about an hour or so."

Harper nodded while seating himself and pulling up an e-comm screen. Templates were selected, and then a directory search to pull up the communications box for Admiral Dane's office at ConFleet Command on Terra. He wasn't sure other than the base detail to list, but it would be, he hoped, an ample enough report for the Admiral to know what was going on. With any luck, it wouldn't take more than month for the admiral to receive the communication.

Their impromptu 'guest', however, was a more immediate matter.

* * *

She had gotten tired of waiting, but despite what she knew she was capable of, Samus knew that she couldn't break down a permacrete wall on her own. The low hum from the plexisteel door panel was enough to tell her it was charged with an electrical field, probably enough to cause her another blackout if she tried punching her way out. And they seemed to have settled for leaving her to wait in the cell while they waited for a hyperburst to verify who she was. That left her with little to do while _she_ waited for them.

In the hour since her talk with Captain Harper, Samus had cleared some room and began keeping herself distracted with a series of press-ups. She had figured out from the lack of any inmates in the area that she was in some kind of isolation block, which meant she probably wouldn't see a real person often as it was. It was reason enough to wish she had some of the rations from the runabout being as she hadn't actually eaten in a number of days.

It was another hour since she had started that the holo-projector crackled, and Captain Harper appeared again. She halted as she heard the low hum, then hopped to her feet and re-tied her ponytail. "Captain. I assume you got verification back on my ID."

" _That's probably not going to be here for two or three weeks, miss. We're thirty parsecs from the nearest settlement world that actually has a name and not a designation code, and we certainly don't rate having any kind of any hyperburst communications here._ " Harper had a slightly annoyed look on his face as he realized most people from the more populated inner systems had no idea how crude technology out on the barest reaches of civilization tended to be. " _Truthfully, it kind of pisses me off when people from the inner worlds just assume everyone has hyperburst capabilities. That kind of equipment and power demand is expensive, and a labor prison sector on a mining moon sadly doesn't get considered to be that important._ "

Weeks? How could it take weeks to get a simple ID request? "If you got raided, the whole colony would be smoke and ash long before anyone responded. How the hell-"

" _That's exactly what happened to K-2L, something a supposed survivor should know._ "

He was trying to tear her identity apart with frivolous 'technicalities'. "I was three years old when the Kromus attacked and my parents died." The venom in her voice wasn't at all subtle, as she'd been reliving that night almost every day since her escape from Zebes. "I have _nightmares_ from seeing it, memories I had suppressed for fifteen years until now. So don't try and act all high and mighty, and think you can try and tear who I am down!"

" _Miss, I have no reason to believe anything you say to me as to who you are, because there were no survivors of K-2L. Federation relief teams didn't get there until a week after the distress beacons were activated, and they were actually further from civilization than we are._ " The holographic projection gave an apathetic shrug. " _It's simple logic. How did a toddler survive a massacre that was total short of a planet glassing, when it was a week before any rescue efforts arrived?_ "

She didn't answer. Not because she had no answer, but because she had been sworn to secrecy about how she had been rescued. Samus knew that if anyone besides Dane and Adam knew about what really had happened fifteen years prior, questions would be further asked about the "class-delta unknown" genetic markers that made up half of her DNA, and any freedoms she still had would be ignored in the name of dissecting her for study. "My parents managed to hide me during the attack. An Alphinian cargo freighter responded to the distress beacon, they found me and took care of me until I was fourteen and wanted to go back to Earth."

That was the official story. It was recorded, documents entered, names and registries listed, and that's all that mattered for official inquiries. It was the same information Harper would get once the identity request came back, just in more bureaucratic detail. And that should have been enough.

" _Being on an Alphinian ship for eleven years doesn't grow feathers on the back of a kid's neck, miss._ "

Again, her ability to respond was stalled. Truthfully, Samus had been hoping no one had noticed the downing feathers since they were just growing in again. There, too, was an official story, but Harper was determined to punch holes even in the truth. Even if she was honest and said she had been given Chozo genetic infusion for three years, she doubted he'd believe the real story. "I was six when I got a genetic infection that required a transfusion from a Kig-Yar. Gene infusions do some crazy stuff."

The hologram raised a brow, almost in disbelief. " _Truthfully, I have seen odder reactions to cross-species transfusions, but this is a first time seeing feathers, or hearing of a successful transfusion from a kig-yar to a human._ " Harper paused a moment as he looked Samus over, studiously examining her. " _I have sent a request to Admiral Dane's office, since one of my corporal's says his cousin told him about being in the same class as John Aran's daughter. I still have my doubts, but it doesn't hurt putting the inquiry in. But keep in mind that could take a month or more for a response, so I'd get patient with my situation if I were you._ "

The young woman growled as she turned and threw herself back against a wall. A snorted chirp escaped her lips as she crossed her arms over her chest, glaring at the hologram as if her mere gaze could kill. "The longer this takes, the more danger it puts the galaxy in, so I hope you're ready to accept that blame when shit hits the fan, _captain_."

Seconds later, the hologram just cut off, leaving Samus to her own frustration and rising hunger. She had the feeling that the prison staff were going to try and just forget about her, since she would never show up in any their records, and if communication really took so long to and from, then they were intending to just deal with the situation only when they had to. It didn't take being on a frontier backwater to realize that fact.

Gods help her before she ended up killing someone...


	23. Discord in Daiban

**2976.243**

 **Federation Capitol Daiban, Al'kya System**

The shouting was more than his already strained ears could take as the yellow scleras of his eyes framed weary red irises. Ball-tip fingers rubbed at the bridge of his nose as the antennae reaching up from his forehead drooped in an expression of dismay and depression. Once again, there had been a violently worded argument between the Pradaxium Union and the Xytab Ecumene. The councilors representing their governments had long had a history of personal issues, which neither one was apparently mature enough to keep out of Congressional business. Former Chairman Vog'l had seen fit to let such be, being the Divolu of Pradaxi Negus were his species. But as a Mantu, Arba'dos Kea'ton had a vested interest in being _im_ partial, especially when he had so vocally risen to the chair of the Federation on a platform of speaking for the lesser treated species and worlds who had been thus far denied congressional representation, and _not_ the elite Inner Worlds.

And right now, he was sorely wishing he had one of those 'primitive archaic' Terran firearms that Vog'l and his ilk had so long decried as 'savage and repulsive.' The old M6 line came to mind, a classic staple still of the Confederation's Armed Forces. If it were legal, he'd have shot the two bickering councilors in the heads and been done with it.

"The Gamol'ak Sector has been harassed by not only Kromus, but by free-roaming traffickers and smugglers using Ecumene territories as a shield from our pursuits for the last five standard cycles, and the ties they have back to _your_ government, Councilor, _cannot_ be disputed!"

"Get over yourselves, you horned bricks. The Onyx Sun Syndicate had been causing the Alphinian people just as much grief as you have with processing any kind of higher thought!"

And once again, these two were throwing insult like infants. No doubt the rest of the Congress was just as tired of the routine as he was, but many of them by this point had taken to placing bets on which of the Councilors would give up the rhetoric first. Sadly, today, neither of them was looking to concede for the day. What made it troubling is that they had far more pressing matters to address, the entire Congress knew it, and it was for certain that they were doing this because neither Laus Nu nor J'kmor Yok'r were willing to discuss matters of galactic war upon them all again.

Which is exactly how they ended up where they did three decades prior when the Kromus suddenly appeared in the backyard of the Confederation and lit an entire planet with a population in the billions in a blaze of plasma, killing almost everyone. Vog'l had not listened to the warnings, insisted that the Terrans were savage warmongers, and he had paid the price when planets were suddenly being set aflame in a campaign of annihilation the likes of which had not been seen since the Covenant collapsed four centuries prior. When Beacon had been ignited, many had realized the threat that the humans had warned them about for decades, yet those like Vog'l insisted it was nothing but exaggeration and claimed the planet had died due to the folly of the humans. But it was when several of the inner worlds had suddenly burned in the following surprise attacks that Vog'l relented and given the vote of war to the Congress.

And unlike Vog'l, he was not able to let history repeat just to maintain an ego.

"Councilors..."

"Everyone knows that your pockets are lined with Syndicate blood money, why else do you always deflect any efforts by the Federation Police to investigate them?!"

"Councilors..."

"How dare you accuse me without any kind of proof for such baseless-"

A heavy boom echoed out from the central pod of the assembly hall. The reverberation was more than enough to gain the attentions of all the councilors as another such _crack_ filled the air. That had been enough to halt the argument while Kea'ton glared angrily at both Laus Nu and Yok'r with narrowed eyes that would likely have struck them down if looks could kill.

"How you two infantile fools ever gained any kind of respect enough to be elected the representative councilors of your systems, I will never comprehend." The diminutive Mantu growled the unspoken threat the instant he saw Yok'r open his mouth in effort to refute him. His race had not endured what they once suffered and helped unify the various former Covenant vassal worlds just to see them bicker and spit like children at every turn. "We are facing the resurgence of the Kromus, the race that burned over a hundred of our worlds to glass in a matter of a decade, took the combined might of the Terrans and the Sangheili to bring to a halt nearly two decades ago, and unlike G'mar Vog'l, I will _not_ tolerate this squabbling that serves only to delay and stall us while they gather their forces again!"

The Alphinian Councilor blinked with mouth agape while Yok'r was visibly seething. "The Kromus are in no state to come even close to the horrors they inflicted on the Expansion Reach, let alone come near us here in the Inner Systems. Due respect, Chairman, but the Terrans have clearly been engineering these so called 'incidents' to justify their violent need to wreak havoc in the galaxy." The Divolu briefly touched one of his head-horns in a delicate fashion, a gesture of concern and worry. "We have no real evidence to substantiate their claims that the _Cunning Death_ has been spotted anywhere in any kind of battle ready condition, and only their word that-"

"Forty-seven ships!" came the furious retort from the bird-like Firekkan ambassador. She gave a hiss and a click of her beak, then shifted her wings while gesturing to the empty observation pod that would normally be occupied by the Terran embassy. " _Forty-seven_ , Councilor, no less than seven _thousand_ dead in just three standard month cycles, _including_ my esteemed fellow ambassador from the Confederation just last week! And you have the _gall_ to claim that they are 'engineering' these horrific attacks?! On their own people?!"

A huff as Yok'r gave but a sidelong glance at the Firekkan ambassador. "I wouldn't expect such a ill-tempered adolescent level species such as your own to understand the nuances that we older and more refined members of the Galactic Congress observe and notice, Ambassador T'kaya." There was a faint, yet perceptible, tug at the corner of Yok'r's mouth as he noted the rage and fury in the Firekkan ambassador's expression. "Violence should never be the answer to every problem you come across, yet the Expansion Reach insists upon-"

"The Machine Empire!" Ambassador T'kaya screeched from her observation pod. The Firekkan may have held no authoritative voice in the Congress as yet, but the Councilors still had a obligation to the vassal members of the Federation to at least let them be heard. "The Kilrathi! The damned Covenant that your people so _proudly_ point out you avoided militarization and service to!" Now the avian for sure had everyone's attentions. "Any one of them attaining their goals would have meant the end of all life in the galaxy, and yet _you_ still ride your sanctimonious arrogance over so-called 'passive existence' while everyone you denounce as 'savage and immature' fights to make sure _your species_ doesn't go extinct in the process of war!"

With his eyes rolling at the Firekkan ambassador, Yok'r once more touched the surface of his horn, though his expression was instead annoyance rather than concern. "If the Terrans, and even your own people, ambassador, would consider peaceful discourse and alternatives to sheer violence, then perhaps the Galactic Federation would not need such protection, let alone face the dangers at all." Now his mouth curled into a snarl as his hands came to rest on the front of his pod. "The Terrans brought these conflicts on us by always running off, firing weapons and screaming for open war at the drop of a hat. It is no surprise that they would make any excuse, even engineer the reasons, to plunge us all back into war and make themselves the center of attention as they 'save' us from the consequences their own foolish actions." The Divolu turned toward the watching Congress, not even acknowledging T'kaya now. The grandiose fashion in which he swept his arms out spoke volumes of the melodrama he sought to invoke. "The _Cunning Death_ has been destroyed since Krom almost two decacycles by Terran reckoning, Ridley killed in the same brutal siege that left the Kromus with a cracked open husk of a world to call their origin and no terrible great leader to unite them. They have scattered between our own galaxy and the Greater Cloud because they are a shattered race, and without that vile creature to enslave them-"

"Please tell that to the two thousand, three hundred and thirty-seven people who died two weeks ago in the Heaven's Gate system to give our one new ship in over fifty years a chance to escape and bring us you even more proof that the Kromus never gave up their crusade, and we are all facing a war of total annihilation."

Heads turned as the once empty observation pod of the Confederation Embassy was not only now occupied, but had undocked from its platform and was now moving out into the center of the assembly hall. Standing there was not any human ambassador dressed in the formal attire of a politician, but the stark white uniform trimmed with gold of the Confederation Navy. The speaker was flanked by two marines, each attired in battle dress armor and bearing a carbine assault rifle, but it was him, his officer's hat in hand and his eyes glaring directly at J'kmor Yok'r, that commanded the attention of the Federation Congress.

"I'm sure it will console their souls and the pain their families suffer when we are all burning from Kromus plasma igniting our planets like what they did to Beacon thirty years ago."

"You are out of line and not of any position to-"

The heavy _crack_ again as Kea'ton banged the staff of office against the floor of his own executive pod. "You will hold your tongue, Councilor, or you will be removed from the Congressional Halls!" After allowing the following silence to linger, Kea'ton whispered a thanks to the universe for such small favors. He was ready to slam the staff of office in his right hand full force into Yok'r's head if the Divolu kept it up. "Admiral Castor Dane of the Confederation Navy is here addressing this assembly on my invitation, and you will all accord him the due respect he has more than earned, _Councilor_." Another glare quickly shot toward the Alphinian Councilor even as he raised a hand to object. " _All_ of you, do I make myself clear?!"

Laus Nu visibly shrank away. While the Mantu were not known for being physically imposing or large in size, the grandeur of their confidence and command of authority was more than enough to make up the difference. The fact that they had fought the Kilrathi to an unheard of standstill prior to the Terran-Kilrathi War in the 2600s was also why none wished to incur their fury. That went double for Arba'dos Kea'ton.

"Thank you, Chairman." Setting his hat to one side on the small display podium in the pod, Admiral Dane took a moment to hold up the silver data drive kept previously hidden in his free hand, making sure it could be seen not just by those near him, but by the relay cameras as well. "This drive contains data from the last two months of the _Concordia_ battle group, a task force that was wiped out save its command ship, I might add."

"A vessel that you Terrans clearly have hidden from us until now in effort to circumvent Congressional oversight and monitoring to ensure proper procedure followed, such as your purposeful exclusion of an Aurora Unit Central Computer Core!"

The Admiral wasn't phased or amused by Yok'r accusation. "During the initial years of the Kromus War, Councilor, the Aurora Units became a liability as we have numerous recorded events of compromised command codes and kill switch orders being sent from Kromus command vessels to our own." The move to contest the facts stated was too obvious as Dane narrowed his eyes at Yok'r, shifted his gaze to Laus Nu. "Two dozen command vessels in the final sweep into the Large Magellanic Cloud lost to randomly triggered destruct orders was enough to prove the Auroras were compromised, Councilors, it's why we pulled the plug on 313 and 242 before reaching Krom."

And when it was clear neither Yok'r nor Laus Nu were going to relent, Kea'ton tapped the staff of office to signal he was going to speak. "Admiral Dane, your message to my office indicated that you had irrefutable evidence of the Kromus build up and coordination, as well as proof of the continued existence of the Kromus Dreadnought super weapon known as the _Cunning Death_. Contrary to my predecessor, I take these matters seriously and at value, so please present your evidence."

With a nod, Admiral Dane slid the data drive into one of several port slots on the console of the pod. Within moments, after a series of command entries from the human, the chamber was filled with video playbacks and tactical data showing movements, recorded ship numbers, and the data records from the disastrous incident in the Heaven's Gate system. "All these flight records are pulled directly from black box recorders of involved fleet vessels and can be verified as unaltered if you need further confirmation, Councilors. Of particular note, I suggest you pay attention to time date 2976.200, the Antares encounter."

Despite his position, Dane had to refrain from rubbing the facts in the faces of the disbelieving Congress even as many of them gaped and paled with horror. The vessel displayed in the still images and various playback was unmistakable, and data calculations all lead to the same identification match. Not even Yok'r could utter a word as his eyes were wide and glassy with fear, denial, and terrified acceptance.

"That encounter was just over a standard month ago." Another series of commands punched in while Dane gave a saddened huff. Moments later, the images of the new Kromus ships appeared, eliciting shocked cries and demands for answers. " _This_ , Councilors, was Heaven's Gate on 2976.218, just two weeks ago. Seven ships of unknown configuration type, that were able to arrive in system without using either the local jump point or slipspace exit rifts." Disbelief was the next cry, unable to comprehend the possibilities. "And this."

The quiet that overcame the Assembly Hall was staggering in its rapid dominance. The human admiral could see that even Chairman Kea'ton was staring with abject horror at the video image of the four kilometer vessel that appeared out of nowhere and was seen tearing the Confederation battle group apart.

And it was surprisingly Yok'r who spoke up as the visual data concluded and all projected images vanished. "This data...is indisputable, Admiral? All measures to verify authenticity will conclude as positive?"

"Over two thousand of our own died in that ambush." Dane hesitated to continue, allowing the gravity of those deaths to weigh down on the assembly. It was then that he took a deep breath and leaned on the console of the observation pod. "Beings of the Federation Congress, over thirty years ago, our Armed Forces Commander in Chief, General Rodham Morris, implored this respected body to not treat the Kromus as a petty annoyance, based off prediction data that revealed them to be a threat on par with the Covenant in its era. He warned both Chairman El'kora and Chairman Vog'l to consider the projections, and both ignored the warnings, until worlds were being burned just to deliver a message to us."

A whisper went among the Councilors and their aides, leaving Dane to glance down from the pod's position and toward Kea'ton within the Chairman's podium. There was more, the human admiral could tell, that Kea'ton wanted revealed here, to turn opinions and force the resolution they needed.

"It is also confirmed by the _Concordia's_ records of the Heaven's Gate System attack, Councilors, that the Kromus are capable of closing off the slipspace compression jump points and preventing Akwende drive use."

And then the assembly hall exploded with outrage, horror, disbelief. Accusations of warmongering resumed, cries for confirmation. It had been the exact reaction Dane had expected to that bit of information, but it was still unsettling all the same to watch the Congress all but tear itself apart again.

"How can anyone just close off a jump point?! Even the Mantu can't shut them down, and they've been using the gravitational intersection points longer than the Covenant was using Slipspace!"

It wasn't unnoticed as Kea'ton shifted quite uncomfortably at such a statement, cluing to Dane that the Terrans were hardly the only species keeping their technological secrets. The fact that the chairman was trying to stay silent on the matter of the Kromus capability to shut off the jump points told the admiral that the Mantu knew things about such technologies that the species was trying to keep hidden. And the surprising thing was that the realization didn't at all surprise him. As the Phrygisian Councilor had noted, the Mantu had been masters of using the jump points for thousands of years, and few knew the slipspace folds like they did.

If anyone knew that it was possible, it was them. And Kea'ton knew something.

"Chairman, your own people know the jump points and slipspace even better than the Covenant did! Is this even possible?!"

The Jovians now, followed by the Qro'q'us, the Ylla, the Yan, the Varni. All demanding answers, all demanding something be done, to the point even the Divolu and the Kig-yar were crying for action.

And it was, sadly, what Kea'ton and Dane needed for them to have any chance. Unlike Vog'l, the Mantu Chairman was willing to consider their last resort, and he knew quite well the history and horrors that inaction would wrought upon them again if they delayed again.

"Councilors of the Galactic Congress, I implore you now!" And the reverberating _thud_ as he slammed the staff of office down echoed through the assembly hall, silencing all arguments. "My predecessors ignored the warnings given by the Confederation over six decacycles ago! Since 2913 or even earlier, we have been harassed by the Kromus, our ships attacked and pillaged, and it only escalated as the previous administration continued to disavow the pleas of the Terrans to take the Kromus serious, until worlds were burned."

All eyes were on the chairman now. Kea'ton had an opportunity that his predecessors had wasted in effort to ignore the problems and threat that face them all. He would not do the same. "Consider that we speak on behalf of not just our own worlds, but for those not yet granted congressional power and privilege. The Terrans have been denied this for two hundred years despite standing between this galaxy and annihilation for over four centuries, and yet the Federation refuses to raise its own military, instead depending on the Confederation even as we ignore their every warning and place them under a leash that forces them to construct their first new combat vessel in five decades behind closed doors."

Even the Divolu Councilor, infamously known for being in favor of further restriction on the Terrans and their military forces, could not argue. "We had thought after nothing came in over a century following the Machine Empire' withdrawal in 2763 that such a force would never need be maintained again, Chairman." Yok'r gave a saddened sigh after his pronouncement, revealing the regrets now, with indisputable facts, of their folly. He could not continue, not after he so often spoke against the Terrans and their forces.

"Many of our worlds have long memories of the Sangheili," came the words of Varni Councilor, her reptilian scales shimmering as she gave a lowered head gaze to Admiral Dane; her species' gesture of expressing regret and respect. "And as the Terrans' closest allies despite both their once antagonistic relationship, and the great distance between their home systems, it has been the positions of both species that many of us fear. Yet these memories unfairly influenced us all when the humans warned us before...until they were the first to pay the price of our refusal to act." Another pause, a long sigh from the Varni Councilor, and then she continued. "But it was also the Terrans who gave us Varni sanctuary after the Kilrathi conquered our people, even as they were themselves rebuilding from their conflicts with the Covenant and the Reclamations. Congressional privilege or not, they still deserve far more respect and latitude than many of this Congress have given them following the Machine War, especially since the _Chozo_ were the ones who insisted on the Federation welcoming humanity since they helped the reformation almost three hundred years ago."

"We said to let them fight on our behalf as they do best back then, and we say again now!" The words of the Wu Councilor echoed out from the far up pods. "The Terrans have had every reason to build their forces after near-extermination no less than three separate times, and yet the elite of this Federation saw fit to further tighten the leash on them like wild animals, including these ridiculous restrictions on what kind of vessel they might build, how long they must wait until they can construct anything larger than picket and patrol craft, and even taking their needed resources to build newer capital command class vessels that we all depend of for defense!"

"The Yan call for war!"

"Let the Confederation eliminate the Kromus threat once and for all!"

More cries, and out of habit, Kea'ton found himself looking to Yok'r, Laus Nu, and their like-minded fellows in expectation of their opposition to the idea of renewed war. Surprisingly, the various members of the Fro'mol party and those of similar thought were silent, some even joining the calls for resolution by any means. It was unprecedented, and despite the bitterness of the matter, it caused his mouth to tug at the corners back in a smirk. The Mantu had lost much popularity with the older elite inner worlds of the Federation due to his devotion to the lesser respected worlds, but it was that very vocal stance of his that had gained him the trust and popular opinion of the vassal members and downtrodden worlds.

And very in particular, it had made him very popular with Terrans.

"I call now, Councilors, for a resolution in light of these facts presented us! To be counted this day shall be the voices of all those here in this hall, both of Congressional power and those of the Embassy systems!" Silence overcame the assembly, allowing Kea'ton the chance he needed, the moment to prevent the mistakes of the past. "I call for a end of this political conflict that divides us, to recognize that regardless of how we wrote history, the Kromus have never surrendered or agreed to an end of the war, and that we have never indeed been in a time of peace, but just a hold in the terrible war that they, the Kromus, have brought upon us!"

A pause as the Mantu looked to where Dane and his escorts silently watched. No, this time, there would be no leash, no demands of how this war would be conducted. The Mantu species valued peace, but knew that conflicts would always hound the pursuit, and so they had fought their battles and defended their own. It was something they had always related to the humans on, and like the humans, they had even faced the Kilrathi and various splinters of the Covenant, and they had overcome.

He expected a cry of opposition from the usual camp of the Fro'mol party and their allies. He expected to be challenged by those whom had stalled this very declaration over three decades prior. And yet, despite everything he had learned to expect in his tenure as chairman, the arguments he had endured with Yok'r and Laus Nu, the rhetoric opposing any suggestion of allowing the Terrans and their military forces to do what they felt had to be done, Arba'dos Kea'ton found himself shocked and amazed, as doubtlessly was Admiral Dane in turn, to hear _Yok'r_ say the words none of them imagined possible.

"Chairman Kea'ton, we have clashed and contended on this very matter for decades. When you were elected as Chairman Vog'l's successor, I made it clear then that I would never support another conflict of the scale we faced then. And yet...for the sake of not only my own people, but the trillions we share with this region of the galaxy, I will put aside my pride, and call for the support of the Terrans and their armed forces once more."

The cries of agreements, screams for the destruction of the threat of the Kromus once and for all. And then the squawk of the Firekkans and their ambassador, and those words that would echo forever in the Mantu's mind.

"I call on you all to rescind the leash you placed on the Confederation! Let them unleash their might, let them undo the decades of damage wrought by well intended yet misguided fears! Let them be the force of hope they gave so many of us when they brought down the Covenant, when they defeated the Kilrathi, and when they put themselves between us and the cold embrace of the Machine Empire! We owe them our trust and gratitude, and it's time this Federation gave it to them!"

Cheers rose to deafening levels. Never had he thought such a united front in _favor_ of what the Confederation had said for decades would have been possible. The elite Inner Worlds had always opposed the notions of war, and it had been the burning of worlds that had pressed the issue so hard before. Now, no one was willing to risk seeing it happen again.

"It seems that even the Divolu and the other Inner Worlds learned a valuable lesson in the last round of this war." Kea'ton rubbed his temples, red irises looking to where, in the Terran observation pod, Admiral Dane appeared pensive, solemn in the wake of such an outcry. He clearly had not expected the Congress to actually agree to the Confederation's pleas so quickly, but the victory, they knew, would be bittersweet. The galaxy was descending back into the chaos of war, and all they could do was defend what they could and pray that the Kromus had not rebuilt their forces to a point of unstoppability.

The cosmos help them all.


	24. Rendezvous and Regroup

**2976.261**

 **Tokyo-II, Japan**

With a sigh, Anthony Higgs gulped down the shot of sake and set the glass down before him. A nod to the cook behind the counter-bar signaled he would need another as he returned his attentions to the large bowl of ramen and fiddled with his fork before taking a bite of the soft noodles and pork. He'd been in the Confederation capitol for a week now, needing time away from his brother's family after have been on leave from shipside duty for about a month. While the commander was handling the new arrival to his own growing family, Higgs was left to keep himself busy with taking what semblance of a vacation that he could get before the _Concordia_ was outfitted with a new battle group and what fighters she could get to replace the losses in Heaven's Gate.

Everyone had taken that entire fiasco hard, and most of the crew still hadn't heard all the details on what exactly had happened, just that Admiral Dane had taken all the data with him to address the Federation Congress on Daiban. That had been weeks ago, which left them all essentially on furlough while the brass made whatever plans they were going to use.

Usually, that meant fighting it out with the Federation to be given their "permission" to do what the entire Orion Spur knew they should be doing anyway, only to be held back until the last minute, or until more planets were cooked by Kromus plasma. He hadn't even been born when the last war kicked off, but he'd been old enough when it ended to know how bad it had gotten. Over a hundred planets burnt to their rocky surface, incinerating entire biospheres into nothing. None of the ruined worlds had been even close to recoverable even after almost two decades, and at least two sapient races left nearly wiped from the face of the galaxy.

Another glass of sake was readied for him. As he finished his bowl and took the last shot of sake before setting his thumb on the scan reader and tapping an extra amount via the projected holo keypad. "Thanks, man."

"You heading back out soon?"

The tall dark skinned human shrugged as he gathered his carry bag and slid off the barstool he'd used. "I dunno, lot of crazy stuff happened, and I can't talk about it. But the whole crew is on furlough until we hear back from-"

A flicker as the nearby holo-radio switched stations abruptly and projected the sigil of the Confederation over the ramen cart's bar. That immediately got Anthony's attention as it wasn't often that the Capitol forced frequency change. In fact, the last time he knew of it had been the official end of the Kromus War close to eighteen years ago. Moments later, the crisp and refined accented voice of Confed's President Takashi Iwata took over from the anthem music that had played.

" _Citizens of the Confederation, I come to you in a time we had all prayed would not visit us again, yet we have prepared for. It has been nearly two decades since former Federation Chairman G'mar Vog'l proclaimed the war with the Kromus Imperium at an end. Since then, the pirate raids and harassments by these extra-galactic aggressors have only continued, despite the assurances and insistence of the former Federation administration that the Kromus were beaten._ "

Anthony's blood ran cold as he could tell what was going on, where this was going. Admiral Dane had left for Daiban right after they had disembarked from Sol Station, meaning he was presenting everything to the Galactic Congress, including what had happened in Heaven's Gate. And since Kea'ton was far more sympathetic toward the worlds and species not part of the old elitists of the Federation, it meant that he would actually _listen._

" _In the last six months, there has been a severe increase of pillaging of not only our own outer colonies deep in the Orion Spur, but of our allies and friends in the Galactic Federation. Hundreds of thousands have been killed, including many of our own brave men and women of the Confederation Armed Forces, and Ambassador to Daiban Desmond Abdul and his staff became tragic victims to the Kromus thirst for destruction mere weeks ago._ "

That was certainly news. The transit routes between Sol Sector and the Al'kya System were supposed to be the most heavily secured corridors of travel with Galactic Federation Police outposts at every fifteen parsecs. If the Kromus had broken the security of that route and were slaughtering the ambassadors of the non-congressional member systems, then this was even worse than what he had seen on the holonet as a kid.

" _Communications with Chairman Kea'ton's office and the recent congressional assembly brought an unprecedented call from the entire assembly, councilors and ambassadors alike, to resume a state of war with the Kromus Pirates. As such, as of twenty-nine-seventy-six point two-four-three at eighteen hundred hours Daiban Standard time, the Galactic Federation has renewed a declaration of war with the pirate nation the Kromus Imperium. Article One-Seven-Three of the Federation Military Oversight Accords has been indefinitely revoked by executive order of Chairman Arba'dos Kea'ton, allowing Confederation fleet shipyards to resume construction of capital class warships and the release of funds to assist our forces in readying for the renewed conflict. As of sixteen-hundred hours today, the Terran Confederation has mobilized all active forces and will issue activations and recalls for all reservists and inactive service members._ "

The rest was a blur to Anthony. He had known this would eventually be happening after the events in Heaven's Gate, but on this scale? Confed was mobilizing on a scale that had not been seen since the Second Machine War in the early 2700s, and there had been far fewer humans alive, let alone those in service, back then. This was on the order of over two _billion_ people out of eighty-seven billion humans across the Galactic Federation.

The distinct tone of his comphone drew Higg's attention. With a deep breath, he pulled the rectangular device from his pocket and glanced expectantly at the display screen; untraceable. Exactly what displayed when it was Army communications on the line. A moment to collect himself, a tap of the accept button, and Anthony brought the comphone to the side of his head. He already knew what was about to transpire. "This is Corporal Higgs. I'm in the Capitol right now, just heard the announcement on the radio-net by the President."

" _Furlough has been rescinded. You are to report to Akohito Air Base by oh-nine-hundred tomorrow for transport to Camp Kikaida at ConFleetCom on Reach. Your assignment to_ _ **Concordia's**_ _ground infantry has been reconfirmed under First Lieutenant Gorman and Platoon Sergeant Ohmar, Lieutenant Halbrook and Sergeant First Class Houston has been reassigned to the GFS Daedalus. Commander Malkovich will be relayed to Reach once he's seen to his family._ "

Reach? That was where most of the larger fleets were berthed for refits and drydock. And reassignments like that were a sign of something big going on. If they were just getting a new battle group, they'd be at the Jupiter fleet yards, not Reach. What was going on?

"Making sure I heard clearly. Confirm orders are to report to Camp Kikaida on Reach to meet with _Concordia's_ new battle group?"

" _ **Concordia**_ _isn't getting a new battle group, Corporal. This is full fleet mobilization, Admiral Dane has requisitioned her to the Seventh Fleet as point of command. Pirate movements have been triangulated to be moving coreward, Fleet Intel suspects they may be looking for something. Further orders and information will await you on Reach._ "

A beep as the line was terminated. With a heavy sigh, Higgs slipped his carry bag's strap over his shoulder and pulled up the local cab service directory. Akohito was about an hour and a half via ground based transport, a fifth of that if he shelled out for a ground-to-air transport, although he had until the morning to arrive and report in for relay to Reach. Sleeping in an actual bed before shipping out again for only god knew how long sounded preferable to a base side cot. Another tap of the screen, and the directory changed to that of nearby motels. Being the capitol, there was thankfully no shortage of places to stay the night, just a matter of how much of his bank account it would cost him.

Better to get himself sorted out now and be up early so he could get to Akohito Air Base before he was due. It was going to a long day once he arrived at Reach FleetCom, may as well get all the rest he could.

* * *

 **2776.262**

 **Henry Glassman Memorial Hospital**  
 **Portland, Maine**

A soft glow of electric amber light ebbed from the corner of the hospital room, slowly rising and lowering to keep its occupants in a relaxed state. It was the dead of night in the eastern coastal region of the North American continent. Passed out on a small fold out bed was the tiny four-year-old girl who had curled herself up in a pair of pink blankets while the deep auburn haired woman who was her mother rested in the hospital med-bed, getting some overdue rest.

And standing in the corner, looking at the glowing screen of his comphone with the logo of the Confederation Armed Forces flashing on it was a worn and weary Adam Malkovich. His blue eyes were drowsy, black-brown hair tussled a bit from the long nights since they had hurried to the labor and delivery wing of the Henry Glassman Memorial Hospital in Portland three days ago, and had been waiting for Madeline to be cleared for discharge along with their newborn son.

He'd been expectantly dreading this call since the night before when President Iwata's address had gone out through the sixty-five parsecs of the Confederation's primary sphere of territories. At least it had come _after_ his son had been born. With a deep breath, Adam tapped the "receive" button on the touch screen and lifted the comphone to his ear. "This is Malkovich, go ahead."

" _Apologies, sir. Leave has been rescinded, Admiral Dane has sent orders for you to relay to Reach as soon as possible. He wanted you to have a few more days with your family, but the fleet is mobilizingp within the week, and_ _ **Concordia**_ _has been reassigned as the Seventh's flagship under you and the admiral._ "

The flagship of the Seventh Fleet? Now a few things were beginning to make more sense. A ship like the _Concordia_ wasn't built for the intention of just policing wild space and dealing with roving pirates, especially when it was test bed a new experimental engine type and an evolved AI. Never mind that for a supposed carrier, the ship was armed to the teeth, and resembled more of a battlewagon or even a dreadnought with carrier capabilities than a actual carrier.

Their maiden assignment had been a test for the ship, not her actual purpose. And judging from the shifting around of assignments, she had more than passed expectations. This had always been Dane's plan. The only problem they had hit was the disaster in the Heaven's Gate system, and even Dane had absolved him of fault in that.

Because no one had expected the Kromus to find something that would let them make a leap of technology and shipbuilding lightyears ahead of what was known of them.

" _Transport to Camp Kikaida on Reach will be arranged at the New Brunswick Air Base facility, report in before oh-nine-hundred for relay via slipspace shuttle._ " There was a hesitation in the voice on the speaker. It seemed almost to be regretful. " _For what it's worth, commander, I'm sorry we had to pull you away so soon, but congratulations on the new arrival._ "

A beep as the line terminated. Malkovich gave a sigh as he looked over at his sleeping family. Their newborn son was in the nursery, being observed and checked for any possible health issues during the first few days of his life. They'd had to do the same wait when their daughter was born, and she was now here, the older sibling, asleep and waiting to see her infant brother in the morning. While he himself had to now leave and prepare to make a jump over ten light years away to prepare for war.

At least he had time to say his goodbyes before leaving for Brunswick. The air base was just over half an hour away, meaning he could catch some sleep still and make sure arrangements for them all were set before he left. Ten years ago, he reflected, racing off to face the Kromus in a grand battle to end their scourge was the exact idea that would have driven him into the fray. But everything he'd already endured, everything he knew others had suffered, those realities far outweighed any naïve notion of battlefield glory.

"Adam? What's wrong?"

Madeline was awake. It probably should have surprised him, some he hadn't slept at all despite her, and the nurses', insistence he rest. As it was, the coffee sitting on the counter was enough to reveal how he was even functioning. And the thing was, there was no making excuses for being on his feet, nor was it much of a secret what he'd been dreading since the week began.

And he was still holding his comphone.

"That was Fleetcom, wasn't it?" she stated, her voice calm, steady, and clearly prepared for this. Even after this long, nothing surprised her, especially after the broadcast from Tokyo-II the previous day. "Did they say you need to leave tonight?"

His head shook. "Oh-nine-hundred." Which was about seven hours away, but still, far enough that he should have been attempting some sleep. "I report in to New Brunswick Air Base, it's only half an hour by ground car, maybe ten if I get an air lift. From there, I jump to Reach."

The auburn haired woman slowly sat up as the bed adjusted for her. With a sigh, Madeline Malkovich brushed a series of bangs from over her face, looking at Adam with worry. "I still don't know what happened out there that put you on furlough, and I know I probably never will. But I _do_ know that it had to do with President Iwata's broadcast about the Federation reinstating a state of war with the Kromus."

A simple nod was his answer as his comphone was slipped away into his pants pocket. "Not a word of this to anyone, Maddie. It went bad out there, and Dane took everything we had to Daiban." There was a pause in his words as Adam moved to start packing up his own bag of clothes and make sure he was ready to leave as soon as possible. "The fact that the Kromus are penetrating into the heavily guarded travel corridors between Sol and Al'kya and killing ambassadors to the Congress after eighteen years of hiding out in the unknown regions of the galaxy is a sign we're dealing with serious reorganization of their forces."

"You think we're about to see another Beacon?"

A terrifying proposition, but one that had only been possible due to the apathy of the previous chairman of the Federation. "Kea'ton has invested too much into the goodwill and faith of the systems and races outside of the Fro'mal party and their old guard founders to let that happen again." Even if he had barely been born before the Kromus War had begun raging, Adam well remembered growing up in the news bulletins and the broadcast recordings from the front lines, the horrors of worlds burning on the inner borders, and the ever present fear that the Kromus could break the lines despite humanity and the Sangheili throwing everything at the invading swarms.

He had been twelve when the news had come that the combined human-Sangheili task fleet had returned from the Large Magellanic Cloud. Two-thirds of the ships that had crossed the void of Sol-Daiban's sparsely filled halo into the satellite galaxy never came back, and there had been news reports claiming a near defeat and narrow reversal at Krom itself. The only confirmed information had been Krom was cracked open by a temblor bomb after the defeat of the Kromus' supreme commander, the dragonoid called Ridley, and the assumed destruction of his flagship.

Except Adam had witnessed himself that the _Cunning Death_ had not been destroyed and still sailed the stars. And the result of that had been five valuable combat ships destroyed and over two thousand of Confed's own lost.

"Kea'ton is a politician and represents a species with interests of their own, no matter how much they claim to empathize with humanity, the Yl'fyn, or any other race that Daiban has screwed over for the last two centuries." It was a harsh sentiment, but not an uncommon one with the Terrans and far more in similar positions in the Federation. Even Kea'ton and his extreme efforts had not won over everyone. "He'll do what he needs to in order to keep his office, and he might have personal sympathies for what our species has endured over eight hundred years of space travel, but make no mistake, Adam, even the humans he appointed are _not_ on our side."

It was not a time to argue, though Malkovich had far more faith in the Mantu chairman than his wife gave. The fact that the Federation had rescinded the state of "peace" and admitted that the Kromus War never really ended spoke volumes of Kea'ton's own convictions and resolve. But he would find out more once he met with Dane. According to his orders, he was to resume as the _Concordia's_ CO, but this time under the admiral's flag command.

And considering they were going into full scale war this time, Adam wasn't sure what to expect now. History holos and the news broadcasts of his childhood only told him so much of what it had been like. Even then, much of it had been propaganda to boost morale, focusing on the heroics of the common soldier, and pumping out news of the victories led by the ÆSIR troopers that had become likened to the Spartans of old. Even those that knew better still had believed in the lofty ideals the name of their program invoked...and ironically the betrayal by the Federation of shutting it all down once Vog'l proclaimed the War over.

That was what he remembered. And that, sadly, was about to repeat itself for his own children. Planets, he knew, would burn once more. Blood would be spilled. And the fears of who might not come back were those he knew his wife had, as much as she put on the stoic face.

"Just promise to let me know before you and your crew ship out."

Madeline's voice startled him from his thoughts, but with a nod, Adam stepped over to the med-bed and his beleaguered wife to meet her lips with his own. "I'll be at Camp Kikaida by the end of the day, fleet mobilizes within the week, so I should have the chance. My parents will be getting into town this afternoon to help you out for the next month or two, I'll let them know the recall came before I catch my cab in the morning."

"I better hear from you before Hector's six month check ups so that boy can see his father, or I'll send a Halsey-class AI to harass you for the entirety of this war with constant updates and pictures to remind you what's here."

He had little reason to doubt she could, either. "Save the AI witchcraft for the fleet boys who are going to need it when the Kromus start hacking the Aurora Units again." He gave a pained smile as he settled himself into the larger couch in the room and set his head on the pillow that waited for him. He had about four hours or so to get some rest before he had to ready himself for the relay to Reach. On the upside, the shuttle itself would likely give him a chance to sleep on the trip there.

"Make sure you come back from this, Adam Malkovich. War or not, I want my husband home when you blow those maniacs back to the hellhole they crawled out of."

* * *

 **GFS** _ **Breaking Fire**_ **, Reach Orbit**  
 **Epsilon Eridani System**

The flare of reentry into realspace from slipspace was always an unmistakable event. The frigate and its escort craft burst from the higher-dimensional realm and into orbital distance over the brown and blue sphere that was Reach. Visible as points of light near the planetary curve was the massing forces of the Confederation's Seventh Fleet, and as the collection of warships came within visible range to discern details, the head of the pack was the nearly two and a half kilometer length of the _Concordia_ , fresh from repairs and resupply.

The sight was one that Castor Dane had long wanted to see since he had conceived this hybrid battleship of a carrier almost thirty years ago. A single vessel with the firepower of a dreadnought and the capacity of a carrier to unleash a fighter swarm needed to fight the Kromus and another threat on more than equal grounds. And that wasn't even the end goal of the vessel. If Dane had his way, he would see the feared Kromus supership that carried the name of _Cunning Death_ blown to scrape by the very vessel he had helped develop.

"Reach space traffic control is on the com, Admiral, we have clearance to shuttle down once we've established orbit."

A slow nod to the communications officer while Dane watched their approach on the main screens. His transfer of flag to the massive vessel would wait a bit. After all, the _Concordia's_ actual commander deserved to be present when they set off. "Once we've settled into Camp Kikaida, I want to be notified as soon as Commander Malkovich arrives and we can start massing the fleet. The Kromus aren't going to sit on their asses for too long before whoever is running things over there decides to start lighting planets on fire again."

His orders given, Dane took the chance to depart from the bridge and make his way down into the frigate's shuttle bay, where his ride down to the surface was waiting for him. A nod to the waiting pilot as they boarded the sleek and compact Goshawk gunship that had already been prepared for the planet side descent. Smaller than the more classically famous and well venerated Pelican Troop Carrier gunship, it was none-the-less Dane's preference if he had a choice. After serving in a twelve year war, the Goshawk had earn its own reputation as the transport of the ÆSIRs, and even now, old habits did not die. They also took up less room than the old D79s due to using repulsor gravity drives instead of needing a twenty-five meter wingspan for aerospace maneuvers.

His wristcom beeped, causing Dane to pause just as he and his pilot were ascending the rear entry ramp. Raising his arm and tapping the device, the admiral brought it near his mouth so he could answer the communication notice. "This is Dane. I'm five feet from my drop surface side, this better be good."

" _Sorry, sir. But we just got notice from Sol, apparently there was a priority message for you from Calliope-IX regarding an information request. I can have it relayed to your quarters at Kikaida once you arrive._ "

Calliope-IX? "That's the ass end of the inner Spur reaches," the man muttered under his breath as he continued up the gunship ramp and headed for the secondary cabin. "Patch it to me here, may as well see what they need."

As a series of relay notices appeared on the small screen, Dane mentally recalled the colony in question. It was out at the furthest edges of Federation territory at the coreward end of the Orion Spur, where the region branched out from the Sagittarius Arm, and there had been a flap about a decade before the war, which had later escalated _during_ said conflict, regarding the Federation taking possession of the remaining titanium mining operations and "requisitioning" the extracted metal ores for their own use. The upper brass in Confed Armed Forces never bought the excuse of "needed resources" and saw it for what it later obviously had been; yet another leash on the humans to keep their fleet from building faster than the elites of the founder worlds felt comfortable with.

There were still gem mines there, as well as a prison sector that Dane had heard also acted as a labor force when the mines needed extra workers. But why would the military police unit there be sending him an information request?

And then he saw the information being inquired about, the name being checked, and the system code of FS-176. And reference to the Pirates. His eyes went wide as he realized exactly had been going on, and what all the Kromus movements had actually been towards.

" _Shit_."

He ran into the main cabin, garnering a surprised looked from his pilot as he began pulling up the navigation plan and redirecting their planned course. "Sir, we're supposed to be prepping for surface side. Is everything-"

"Get me to the _Olympus_ , marine, and make sure you step on it, that's an order!" Seconds after giving the command, Dane moved himself back to the secondary cabin as he keyed up a private frequency on his wristcom. It was likely the middle of the night where he was calling on, but this could not wait. Not after reading the message from the Calliope-IX prison.

It took a minute, but a groan and heavy sigh came over the speaker unit. " _Castor, it's two in the bloody morning here on Ganymede. This had better be damn worth-_ "

"FS-176." That one word was enough to silence the commander-in-chief officer of the entire Confederation Armed Forces. After letting it sink in, Dane breathed in to continue. "The Kromus are making moves to take Zebes again, General. I'm taking the _Olympus_ to the Dakona System to retrieve our informant, but I'm breaking off the _Daedalus_ and its escort group to make way ahead of the fleet and set up a defense blockade."

" _Dakona? Why the hell do you need to take a carrier to a backwater system like Dakona? And what informant? Did we get a message from the Chozo again?_ "

He bit his lip. Even his own superiors did not know about John and Virginia Aran's daughter. Dane had made a promise to keep it that way if at all possible. And technically, Morris' assumption was correct to a degree. "There looks to have been some misunderstandings when they arrived on Calliope-IX and tried to explain they needed to contact me. I need to get out there and clear stuff up, since it took a month for us to even get the relay message in the first place. I trust Captain Ikari and the _Daedalus_ battle group to handle defense at Zebes while I'm in Dakona, and Commander Malkovich can meet up with me with the rest of the seventh fleet there."

There was a hesitation from the other end of the transmission line. Dane knew that Morris was having to consider so many factors in a situation that they had faced before twenty-three years prior. But Dane also had been there himself, and knew first hand what it had taken then.

" _Do whatever you consider necessary , Castor. You were there in 'fifty-three when they tried last time, and you survived being held prisoner by them. They may not have that blasted dragon leading them anymore, but the Kromus have never stopped being a threat we can't take lightly. Make sure Ikari and_ _ **Daedalus**_ _keep the Birds safe until the fleet arrived, and hopefully we're not too late._ "

With a beep, the line terminated. Dane took another breath as he began entering commands into his wristcom. New orders had to be relayed, and the _Olympus_ needed to be prepared to depart within the next few hours if they were to have any hope of reaching Dakona in time. "ETA to new destination?" he asked the marine pilot as he continued entering and forwarding his new orders to the fleet's battle group commanding officers. "We need to get underway ASAP, son."

"Goshawk hits three hundred klicks a second in open space, sir, we can be there in a couple of minutes."

That left him to send a message to be received by Malkovich when he arrived. The _Olympus_ would be to Dakona within a day at full slipspeed, and once _Concordia_ made way, it wouldn't take that much longer for the fleet to rendezvous and regroup for Zebes. That gave the _Daedalus_ battle group to get as much of a head start as it could get to make for FS-176 ahead of them with a two day stretch to make.

He only prayed that they hadn't lost too much time.


	25. A Hostile Quandary

**2976.261**  
 **Erato Prison Sector, Calliope-IX**

There was a general sense of unease as many of the inmates turned to notice the young blonde while she walked out into the courtyard. Word had been spreading over a standard month of their "non-existent" guest, and rumors already had started as to why she was still being held at the prison sector. Already it had gotten out that something happen just outside the land and region owned by the mining corporates, though as to what, details were vague enough. Several of the inmates had begun wondering if what happened had been so out of control that the mysterious blonde girl was being held until she could been taken to a more populated system that actually had a judicial presence.

Except Galactic Federation Police wouldn't have taken more than a week to arrive if that were the case. And it didn't explain why she had no records in the databases as yet.

And as she walked by, several of the inmates gave a few low whistles. Despite the electro-barrier field separating her from the rest of them for the moment, it didn't stop them from looking her up and down. Her usual blue coveralls attire was currently in holding, leaving her to wear the same bright yellow and orange prison fatigues used by the actual inmates. That didn't change that fact a number of them were giving her looks that she recognized nominally as those of predators observing prey.

Sometimes, Samus was not sure she wanted to understand her own birth-species more. Between the behaviors she observed and occasionally picked up at the academy and the odd reactions she was garnering from the inmates, her desire for comprehension of humans was beginning to wane. As it was, she didn't understand what the point of those stares was. If anything, _she_ was the bigger predator that _they_ needed to worry about.

"Why do you think they put that baby ass in solitary all the time?"

That comment, she well understood the meaning behind. As it was, she rarely, if ever, saw anyone in the last month beyond a food handler and Captain Harper's hologram projected visits. This had been the first time she was let out of the isolation block, and it was unnerving how she was being watched by the actual prisoners.

"You get one hour to start, kid." That was the nearby guard who was acting as her handler. "Captain Harper is still waiting back on that ID request from Daiban, but decided it wasn't right keeping you locked in an isolation cell, so let's see how this goes."

"Basically don't screw up and I can see the sun more often." Simple enough. She'd noticed her skin had been getting paler since her 'stay' with the prison sector had begun. While the mining company that had attacked her on her arrival had yet to trump out any actual charges, likely because they knew their claims would fall apart on actual examination, Samus had not been released as there was nowhere to release her to, and apparently the mining site manager was putting pressure on Captain Harper to make sure she was not released. It translated, in her mind, to the prison getting some kind of off the books funding, especially in exchange for the use of many of the inmates for mineral processing operations during the day.

It was merely more things that made her not want to know more about her own species, and the once innocent faith in the Galactic Federation and its sense of justice also wavered. After all, the colony may have been of a primarily human population with a Confederation manned prison sector, but Calliope-IX was still a Federation world above all. If they turned a blind eye to this, then ignoring other problems would only follow.

Speaking of problems, it didn't escape Samus that several inmates were closing on her slowly once she was free of the handler guard previously right behind her. She knew that look many of them had, and what thought process was behind it. She'd broken arms for similar attitudes back at the Academy, thinking she was an easy target for anything.

"Probably some local from the mines who got too mouthy and not worth the trouble she caused."

A number of people back in Wyoming who would probably agree, and thought they would get some fun out of her. The cause of the broken arms she was recalling no less. And judging from the group moving toward her, she was likely going to be breaking some more arms. An eye shifted to where a guard was _supposed_ to be keeping watch; gone. The multiple shiny black panels high up on the walls were telltale of the observation cameras. So they _could_ see the prison yard, they just decided not to be here.

"Hey, blondie!"

Two of them already. A taller brunette woman with tattoos and patches of pale flesh of otherwise darkened olive skin, and her rather lanky male companion, who, while tall, was not as suited to a brawl as his obvious lead. And they were actually calling her attention.

"What does a kid like you do to end up in confinement for over a month?"

"You can find out, and have a long sleep afterward in the infirmary."

It was not the smartest thing to say in her situation, but despite such, Samus found herself smirking as the taller woman gave a rancid glare at her response. It was pretty clear exactly was going through the various prisoners' minds in regards to the blonde girl's backtalk, and what they planned to do about it. It was, sadly, no different from the academy.

The tall brunette woman now was making her way right up to the girl. "Guards are away and no one's looking, little girl," came the venomous words as she cracked her knuckles. "Labor prison or not, we're not a bunch of sissy asses who don't put shits like you in their place."

They made the first move. Brutes and thugs who felt they were the ones in charge in the prison halls. She had learned after the events that gotten her in this situation that she was better not takin the fist swing. It earned her a throbbing pain in her face as the brunette woman slammed her balled fist right into Samus' face. A moment as she adjusted her jaw, noting the look on the inmate's face as she had barely shifted outside of moving her head with the punch. "They got that on camera," she muttered, just loud enough that the nearby inmates could hear her. "My turn."

The shriek that resulted from her retaliation gave Samus a vengeful smirk on her lips. The woman was now on the ground, her right leg bent backwards into an unnatural angle at the knee, and her mouth wide in anguished howling. Her companion took a step back, then glanced to see the other inmates in the yard gathering to see what had happened. He gave his best effort at looking like he was able to take charge, but the sickening _crack_ as Samus open-palm impacted his ribs told far more than the wide-eyed shock that followed. Another such _crunch_ sent him crashing back several feet as the other inmates stared in shock.

Her shoulders hunched as she brought her balled fists up with forearms ready to guard upon recognizing a shift from malicious playfulness to shocked anger in the expressions of the other inmates. That had likely been one of the prisoners who held some semblance of power in the prison that she had snapped the knee joint of. No doubt the others were ready to retaliate after that display.

"Hope you made your peace before you wake up in Hell, you little shit!"

"This isn't Hell." The blonde whirled and slammed a foot square against the oncoming inmate's shoulder, another series of crunching _snaps_ signaling broken bones. His arm went limp while he screamed, but the man was shoved aside as one of the bigger prisoners managed to get in close and take a swing at the girl. Even with his surprising speed, Samus twisted her own body and movements around the large ham-sized fist, then returned with a shocking strike that was a blur to the humans watching. "I've been in Hell, you assholes are the warmup before I go back.

Another swing, another counter, this time a palm right to the large man's face and cracking directly against his nose. Samus didn't give him time to even register what had happen before her form rotated and slammed her readied elbow against his forehead. An instant later, he hit the ground, hold in his nose while blood began to drip from under his hands.

It was seconds after that Samus felt a tingle up her spine. Something was coming at her, but where from was the question. An instant later, she realized the obvious, but too late as she was tackled from behind. The blonde girl grunted as she tried to bring her weight around, but a second impact was enough to drop her to the ground. They had, evidentially, picked up on the fact she was more than physically a match for any of them. Maybe they weren't all idiots.

Her legs buckled, then braced as a third body hit her. They had decided to make an example of her for snapping back like she did; just like the security staff at her landing. Nothing to do but handle it the same way. Her body bent a bit, then tensed just before she used all her power to push her torso back against about six hundred or more pounds of weight and move four large adults pressing all their mass on her back and off their balance. Seconds later, a harsh screech like angry goshawk earned stares as her lithe frame lifted the piled bodies and brought them all plowing backward into the courtyard wall.

As she managed to put a few feet between herself and the now collapse trio of inmates, there was a shout, and sudden something latched to her skin. That's when Samus felt the shiver up her spine again, but it was too late as high voltage slammed into her, just like the confrontation with the mining security. And just like then, she grit her teeth while falling to a knee to brace herself. The prison MPs had _finally_ decided to intervene, though she seemed to be the only target of the more extreme containment measures.

"Gods damnit," the girl hissed as her breath came out in gasps. She glared at the guard at the other end of the taser wire, noting the surprise in their eyes that she was still standing, let alone conscious. "I didn't start this damn fight!"

Another charge, and she screamed as the voltage pushed her past her pain tolerance, but even then, Samus refused to collapse. She caught herself before she could fall over, every breath filled with pain, but she could only glared vengefully at the poor guard who was frantically rechecking the output of the taser gun in her hand. "Shock me again," the girl managed to get out as her chest heaved in agony with each labored breath. "And I will smash your gods damn face in...I was _defending myself!_ "

Before the guard could pull the trigger a third time, Captain Harper managed to grab her arm. Despite everything, MPs now filling the yard and containing the other inmates, Samus dropped her head, breathing irregular as she struggled to keep on her knees, then found herself grabbed by the arms and hoisted very violently up.

"Get her back in solitary," came the cold orders from Harper. "Protection protocols, now."

"I don't need your protection!"

"And I'm not talking about protection for _you_ ," Harper shot back as he watched her being dragged off and out of the prison yard. He turned back to see the results of the girl's handiwork; the first assailant being tenderly loaded on a stretcher for the med-section, the second as well being taken away for attention, and four more with a smashed nose, impact bruising from the wall, and some concussions from all signs.

Six inmates all together, by herself, three of whom had been trying to dogpile her while standing. No normal human girl weighing a hundred and twenty pounds should have been able to do any of this. Something was very much not right with the story that the mines had given of that she was some junkie, and her own story of being the child of ÆSIR augmented super soldiers, despite logical saying such enhancements didn't carry over in such a way, was less of a nebulous claim and perhaps closer to the truth.

But things still didn't add up.

* * *

Her throat was raw as spots of her skin smoked from where the electrodes had made contact. The ten minute journey back into the isolation wing of the prison complex had become rife with screaming of rage and agonizing pain from the stun units the guards were armed with. It had taken all her willpower at this point to stay conscious from all the voltage and sheer flaring pain she had been put through to subdue her, but even so, the only thing Samus was aware of at that point was being set on the floor and the confinement panel slamming shut just before the pitched hum of material charge filled the air.

After a long silence, she finally moved rolling onto her back and wincing as her sore skin touched the cooled paved floor. Her tolerances were far might than normal for a human of her size and weight, but she wasn't impervious to pain, something Samus had long ago learned. "Do your people get off to using me as a punching back because I take it and heal faster than your actual inmates, or because I 'officially don't exist', and you think that makes me free game?"

"Truthfully, I'm not sure why you run your mouth like that, considering you could be here a very long time if nothing checks back from Daiban or Sol."

That wasn't a filtered speaker or a holo-projection. Painful as it was, Samus pushed herself up into a sitting position to see the actual Captain Harper standing on the otherwise of the charged translucent aluminum panel. "This is a first," the girl managed to say as her breathing started to finally regulate. "I was starting to think you were actually some Halsey-class AI who ran things around here instead of a real person."

"GalFed AI regulations forbid that level of AI sentience outside of Sol Sector Confederation territories." Something that generally wasn't known outside of said Sol Sector, Harper had to admittedly remind himself of. A month roughly, and he was noticing certain things which would confirmed bits of her story, and what he had been told back when they had sent the ID request. "So, 'Samus'. I have quite a quandary to deal with here. On the one hand, I've been reviewing the camera feed while I came down here and can attest that you were attacked first." He saw the shift of her expression; distrust. That was, sadly, to be expected given the situation. "On the other, you put two inmates in the medical ward for the next month with bone fractures that will take very delicate treatment to heal properly-"

"They made their choices that got them here, let them deal with those decisions."

"A third who is going to be in outpatient for two weeks for a _shattered_ nose and fractured facial section of their skull," as Harper ignored the commentary from the girl, "and three more who have some serious bruising trauma from the otherwise rather impressive slamming you gave them against the wall." Over six hundred pounds between those three, no less. "You officially don't exist as far as we yet know, meaning I can't file official charges against you. You acted in what could be considered self-defense, but you also put half a dozen inmates in medical, not counting the three rent-a-cops you hospitalized before you were dumped on me." There was a pause as Harper sighed and rubbed the bridge of his nose. His vision was getting a bit blurred, meaning he was stressed and hitting that need for some serious sleep after two days of headaches.

"You could have just given me back my runabout and let me go on my way."

A brow was raised at that suggestion. "The questionability of Alma-Core's claims about where they encountered you aside, you still put three Me'jith security in medical and less than an hour ago put six inmates there as well. And considering the shit I've seen you do, miss 'Aran', I'm not so sure GFP or even ConFleet wouldn't be interested in having a few words with you."

He meant the Confederation's Advanced Warfare division. She knew enough from three years at the officer academy to know about _that_ open secret. "Same thing I've said for a standard month now, captain. Get a hold of Admiral Dane, and this will all get cleared up."

Harper narrowed his eyes, then turned on his heel and left her be. His eyes glanced again to the tablet he had been using to review the footage from the courtyard. He was starting to believe that this girl was speaking enough truth, but she was also obviously leaving things out. ÆSIR augments didn't breed through, not to the level of abilities she had displayed.

A tap to the headset he wore on his right ear. "Anything yet back from either of those requests?"

" _Not yet sure. Dakona-B has been crazy active still, so it may be relay issues. They also may not consider an ID inquiry from us a very high priority._ "

All very valid points. With a sigh, Harper had something else come to mind. "One more thing, Meyers. Check GalFed astro-cartographical charts for an 'FS-176'. I wanna know where that place is after hearing it for a month."

" _Might be a bit. We're out at the edge of known space, and the only thing further charted past the boundaries is K-2L, about a fifteen hundred lights coreward._ "

"Not like we don't have plenty of time." A second tap, and the comline was closed, leaving Harper to ponder a few things as he continued to the main lift. The big question he had, in trying to get answers now, was why this system their guest kept referencing was so important.


	26. Exterminus Protocol

**2976.263**

 **GFS** _ **Dauntless**_ **, En route to Calliope-IX**

Less than ten standard Terran hours had passed since the _Dauntless_ had charged from Reach orbit and roared out of Confederation space at full slipdrive power. The carrier vessel was still racing through slipspace at translight velocity surpassing five hundred light years an hour, having made no breaks since using a little known jump line to V404 Cygni using the central singularity inside the Charybdis Quasar as a jump point. Over seven thousand light years and close to fifteen hours had been cut from the journey using the classified jump corridor, over half the journey needed to reach the Dakona system. Normally such navigational tactics were highly discouraged due to the extremely close proximity to an active gravitational singularity both the entry and exit points were, but in exceptional circumstances, such as these, it was within a commanding officer's authority to deem the risk a necessary one.

And the situation that had already formed in Castor Dane's mind based on the message from Calliope-IX was nothing less than catastrophic. The Kromus were making for Zebes again, and they barely had begun any kind of mobilization efforts. If they hurried, they might have time to head things off this time, but then there also the issue of when that communication had been sent.

"Less than an hour to Dakona, admiral. Stations preparing to standby for translight exit into orbital-entry range of Calliope-IX."

A solemn nod from his position by the primary tactical display table as he looked over to the command landing. The captain proper of the _Dauntless_ was looking tired as she watched the primary external viewers, but she had hardly seemed exasperated at the sudden change of plans when Dane had come aboard with his new orders. She gave a brief look back to the admiral, a nod, then resumed her watch over the navigation crew.

"I apologize again for shanghaiing you and the _Dauntless_ , Captain Ran, and for the lack of details why."

"Anything that drags you away from the Seventh and the _Olympus_ is no simple matter, Admiral." There was the hint of a smile in her voice as the dark skinned fleet captain tilted her head again. "I was just a kid going into the academy when you and the Sangheili were charging into the Clouds, sir. Feels kind of like a small taste of history to have you aboard like this."

A crease of his brow as Dane considered that sentiment. It was a bit perturbing to hear such a romanticized notion about the war, even if it was such an otherwise innocent comment. He had seen planets burn when they couldn't halt the Kromus advance, forced to pull back and regroup. More so, he knew firsthand the prices paid in that war, and the prices to be paid again. "You may get far more of that taste than likely expected, captain. I just pray we're not too late when we get to Dakona."

* * *

 **Erato Prison Sector, Calliope-IX**

It was mid-day on the gas giant's moon and its primary center of inhabited region. The usual routines were well underway as Captain Harper entered the prison command management center. On the main screens, he could see the hundreds of inmates in Erato, a number of whom were being prepared for the day's work at the nearby moldavite mines. After a moment, he tapped a video feed indicator on his tablet, bringing up the observation camera of their sequestered guest. She was keeping herself occupied with pushups, it seemed. A momentary look of confusion crossed his face as he tapped a few commands into his tablet and instructed the AI routines to run a biometric assessment on the young woman. A minute later, suspicions were confirmed; their guest, despite routine meals and her obvious physical regime, had lost mass. If anything, she should have _gained_ weight while kept isolated away.

"Captain, we're getting a tight burst message from a ship currently en route via slipspace, identifies as the GFS _Dauntless_. They say Fleet Admiral Dane is onboard."

That garnered the captain's attention as he looked up from his tablet. "He seriously came out himself on this?" Harper frowned as he set his tablet aside and stood up from his desk. His expectations for any kind of response to the information request had been little to none, not a personal visit from a four star admiral to the backwater coreward edges of Federation space. "Was she telling the truth about knowing a freakin' fleet admiral?" he muttered as he walked over to the coms-station. "This is verified?"

"You want to tell a seven million metric ton carrier that's flying at over five hundred lights an hour that they need to wait for a message to get to Daiban and back to verify them?"

Valid, he had admit. The mere fact they had anything more than a prison courier or a cargo hauler for the mined minerals coming in was odd enough. "Prep the landing zone for a shuttle, make sure everyone is on notice about this visit." A moment as he considered the possibility that their 'guest' was indeed the subject of this rather unusual visit. And the matter of what he had seen her do. "Do we still have those Brute binders we had to use when Thompson had his breakdown three years ago?"

"They'd have to be adjusted for her, but yeah, those things are in storage."

"Get her dressed and prepped for this." Harper frowned as he watched the corporal head off to carry out the instructions given to her. He didn't like this, and if this girl was in fact of any kind of connection to a fleet admiral, what they were about to put on her was _not_ going to earn any points. But what had happened since she arrived on the moon demanded precautions. Hopefully Admiral Dane would understand such.

* * *

It was nearly mid-morning when she head the approaching footsteps and clanking of metal. Too early for second meal, not that an earlier meal would do her any good. As she stood up and wiped the sweat from her forehead, Samus took the chance to get a look at who had come to visit her; decisively not the captain. "Captain Harper decide that I'm not good enough for even a holo-visit anymore?"

"Get dressed and submit for the binders." The humming charged panel suddenly silenced before retracting, and a distinctive personal effects container was slid into the isolation cell. "We brought what clothes we found in that ship, but don't get any ideas that armor that thin will do anything if you step out of line."

Her base armor was in the case. Why were they worried bout making her presentable? And why now? As tempting as surprising the guards was, Samus knew better at this point. Besides, there was a reason for this. "GalFed decided to check up on things here and you can't have an unlisted prisoner being found?"

"Captain wants you dressed and read for-" The corporal halted in his words as the girl pulled her shirt off in front of him, continuing to strip down like she didn't care at all who saw her. "What are...you...in front of-"

"You need me changed and ready." A second later, she peeled the prison fatigue pants off and those of her base arm were pulled on. Her armor jacket followed, sealing itself and sealing the separation with the pants before she latched the utility belt around her waist. "Swear to Na'bru, humans are so hung up on seeing their own skin. Fashion and function are no reason to act like a naked body is shameful."

With her boots pulled on her feet, Samus gave a sigh, then noticed the large metal apparatus being held by one of the accompanying guards. "What the hell is that?"

"Binder harness, rated to be able to restrain even a Category Two ÆSIR." The corporal narrowed his eyes now that the shock of witnessing the girl strip down and dress in front of him had passed. "You're coming up, and Captain Harper isn't taking any chances after what happened in the prison yard."

Her eyes narrowed even as her mouth tightened back with a snarl. They were treating her like she was one of the convicts housed in the prison, even though all she had done was defend herself. But those things didn't matter as the binder harness was held up for her to be put into, and her lack of options was punctuated by the powered hum of the stun rifle carried by the other accompanying guard.

"Hope you have a good backup career once Admiral Dane finally hears about this," she muttered under her breath as she held out her arms and allowed the restraints to be slipped on. Two lengths slid over her arms, clamping around her shoulders and fastening in the back between her shoulder blades before pulling her arms together and locking them in a downward position. It was _highly_ uncomfortable, which she knew was the entire point, and left her unable to do much of anything.

There was a jab at her back, signaling for her to move. With a growl, Samus did as directed, heading down the corridor as led by the corporal with both guards flaking her. Why, she wondered, did they need to bring her up from isolation? And why dressed in her belongings from her shuttle?

* * *

Ten minutes had expired since the nine hundred and fifty-one meter long carrier erupted from the dimensional fold realm of slipspace. The same Goshawk that had carried Admiral Dane out from the _Breaking Fire_ and to the deck of the _Dauntless_ once again launched into the void of space, arcing around for entry into the atmosphere of Calliope-IX. Flickers of entry plasma ignited around the shields of the lithe transport ship, eventually extinguishing while the dropship re-angled and increased its atmospheric speeds. It didn't take long for the Goshawk to come about over the prison center and lower itself down onto the cleared landing pad.

Before the ramp hatch had lowered, Captain Harper was already approaching, flanked by a pair of armed and ready MPs. It was all out of standard operation procedure, something that wasn't often in force at the prison, but considering their very unusual guest, it was better to make appearances at following regulations.

Yet what he was expecting was not what got. When one heard the words "fleet admiral", the image conjured was full pomp and proper display of the fleet; full dress uniform, laden with awards and service markers, and a venerable display of that pride often attributed to the admiralty. Instead, the man who made a determined pace down the ramp and onto the landing pad tarmac was anything but said expectancy. He was clad instead in fleet armored fatigues, dark blue textured shades with a burnished gold trim at the shoulders to mark his position as flag officer, with a matching colored cap in his hands that was quickly placed on his head as he and his own entourage approached the now saluting Harper and his MPs.

"Admiral Dane, sir. I have to admit, this is a very unusual visit. We don't often-"

"Is there a particular reason a message from my informant regarding a highly sensitive and classified watch site was not forwarded to me via priority hyperburst as soon as you were told, Field Captain?" There was no nicety or play at proper protocols in Dane's voice as he cut Harper off mid-sentence. He took a look at the outer walls of Erato and sighed, signaling for Harper to lead him in. The fact Dane's own guards were not only armed and brandishing their weapons at the ready, but were geared in semi-powered combat armor was enough to make Harper begin wondering what exactly had he gotten into. "Even at forty-one hundred parsecs from Sol Sector, it should not have taken over a month for that message to reach me, let alone sending a message to Daiban."

"Respectfully, sir," and Harper put all his effort into reminding himself who he was talking to, "we're at the ass-end of Federation space, where the only thing further that's charted by Daiban's records is an abandoned Afloraltite mining colony." He paused a moment, knowing well he had a look of annoyance aimed at him. "Unfortunately, we have never rated high on any kind of high-end equipment priority, and that includes communications, admiral. Dakona-B also has been in a series of stellar flare ups, which caused transmission delays. I'm honestly surprised it took only a month to reach you since the GFP still haven't responded to my records request."

The admiral was silent as he followed Harper though the halls into the prison's command center. Once they had arrived, however, Dane made sure that the only thing to his back beside a wall was his own escorts. "Bureaucratic nonsense like that is why we watched a hundred planets burn," he muttered, though not making any attempt to not be heard. "Alright, I can accept that reason for the delay. However, why were you trying to verify her identity through me? I cant imagine it's so far that you don't have access to the GalFed network."

He breathed in, remembering that very few understood just how removed from the Federation and its resources the Dakona system was. After a long moment, Harper allowed himself to rub the bridge of his nose and sigh. "Again, I respectfully point out, sir, the fact we are at the literal edge of Federation space. We're outside the communications network array, and we don't have hyperburst capability here due to budgets and a low priority for updated equipment." Another pause as he glanced to a monitor, one that showed four figures awaiting in the isolation section lift. Answers would come soon enough, it seemed. "And there are bits to the events leading to us having your 'informant' as a 'guest' here, admiral. Like putting three hired Me'jith security personal who work at the local mines in medical when she got here, manic according to the mining supervisors, and then half a dozen inmates _here,_ who are now being treated for injuries as of a couple days ago."

It didn't elude Harper that the Admiral did not immediately reply. Such indicated that this was not information which surprised him, meaning that he _did_ know who this girl was, and what she was capable of. And more so, he was clearly all too familiar with her obvious tempers.

"Captain, I want her brought to me now and released to my custody. She has vital information regarding a sensitive site-"

"She's not going anywhere until someone tells me what the hell is in this FS-176 system, how the hell a hundred and twenty pound girl hospitalizes nine people in a matter of minutes, and why she can tank an electrical charge that could down a friggin' elephant." Even though he was snapping at a vastly higher ranking officer, Harper had already decided he had questions he wanted answers to. "And what the hell is that ship and the suit of what looks like powered armor inside of it? You're so eager to just claim her and go, admiral, but I want to know who and _what_ she is."

Silence. This time, however, Dane was not contemplating confusion, but his expression was one of restrained frustration. Something, it was clear, had gone very wrong. "Who she is, captain, is John Aran's only child, his daughter who survived a pirate raid on K2L fifteen years ago, and my informant whom had monitored a highly classified location for the last year."

"We both know that's bullshit." The captain didn't even flitch as Dane gave him a furious glare that could have ignited a sun. "John Aran and everyone else on that colony were slaughtered, and there is no way a toddler would have survived on their own long enough to be found by anyone. Stars or not, I'm not handing anyone over to you until I get real answers."

"Captain." And as Dane spoke, his voice was barely holding back his aggravation at the situation he was facing. "I am here on authority from General Morris, ConForce CIC himself, authorized to take my _informant_ who has monitored FS-176 and made sure it stayed safe, up until the message you barely had enough information on reached me." A steel grey eye glanced back at his escorts, as if reminding Harper who he was trying to strong arm. "I want Miss Aran now, and her ship returned to her so that we can leave and deal with the god damn war that is-"

The command center doors slid open, revealing a corporal, two armed MPs, and the blonde girl who's arms were restrained by a binder harness clear designed for containing humans in the augmented categories. The sight made Dane's heart sink as he realized what his surrogate granddaughter had been enduring this entire time. What made it worse was when she met his eyes, and her expression went from stoic to shock and pleading; she had no idea he'd arrived. He knew the glaze her blue-green eyes were reflecting. Something horrible had happened to her, and a stay in this prison was not even the tip of the iceberg.

"Captain Harper, I'm taking custody of Miss Aran under authority of wartime decree article two-seven-three point five-nine. She is an unlisted informant under operation orders from myself of observation at a classified site." After a moment, Dane gestured for his escorts to take possession of the restrained blonde girl. The response they received, however, was a shock as the prison MPs sudden lowered their own weapons at the marines. "Captain, are your people insane?!"

"That decree only applies during a state of war, admiral, which we haven't been in since 2959." Harper glared as he nodded for his subordinates to move in between the person he now was clearly claiming as one of his inmates, and the fleet admiral who was losing all patience for any civility in the situation. "Those stars be damned right now. This is _my_ prison, under _my_ authority, and after she has been this much a pain in my ass, she goes nowhere except a sentencing hearing once I find out who she really is and file some goddamn charges, just to spite your ridiculous power trip!"

This had gone from a visit to clear up confusions and misunderstandings into a Mexican standoff. Harper was seriously challenging his authority, claiming that no state of war existed, and at this point had just doomed his entire career with his actions. "We're in a state of war right now, you pigheaded idiot! I was in the damn Congressional Hall when the entire assembly voted to declare the Federation in a resumed war with the Kromus! Kea'ton has revoked article one-seven-three of the Military Oversight Accords, we are making coordination arrangements the god damn Sangheili! This is _real_!"

"Sir, something just displaced sixty million tons about four hundred and fifty thousand kilometers out from Calliope-IX orbit!" When Harper stared in shock at the corporal at the monitoring station, she gave an expression of fear in return. "The satellite network didn't pick up any kind of slipspace discharge, and the Dakona Jump Point is out eight AUs from Calliope orbital. This thing just appeared out of nowhere!"

At the same time, an alert tone came from the earpieces of the marines. One of them tapped the device at his head, eyes narrowing as he looked to Dane and nodded. "Confirmed, Admiral. _Dauntless_ picked it up as soon as it came in system. They're still running renders, but whatever it is, it's massive, it's already launching craft, and it's running a Kromus IFF signal."

And they were wasting time arguing over custody of a girl who had no doubt been scared and traumatized by whatever had happened to bring her here. Dane growled and turned his full attention to Captain Harper, pointedly now indicating Samus and the restrained harness she was constrained by. "News may take forever to get here, but the war does not wait, and neither do I." Another gesture of his hand to his Marine escorts. "Get the location of her ship, and get her out of that damnable thing. We are leaving _now_."

"God damnit, I just said-"

"I'm invoking rank here, field captain." The snarl in Dane's voice wasn't even a veiled threat. "Your prison staff are to stand down and prepare for evacuation. If the Kromus are here, they _will_ be making surface side, and likely will be prepping to burn the surface with a plasma bomb that will ignite the atmosphere and kill everyone on this Ganymede sized rock once they find what they're looking for." The admiral's eyes shifted toward Samus, very well aware exactly who the Kromus were here for, and the information they were looking to keep silenced. "And now every second you waste is another second they get closer to carpet bombing us with plasma charges." A glance to the operations station, and Dane could see the panic in the young enlisted soldier's eyes. "Corporal, you said four-fifty megameters out from orbital system. How long until they get here?"

"An hour at their current speed, looks about one-twenty-five klicks a second, and the sat-net is already picking up about a dozen launched ships, looks like landers, coming in at us at about four-thirty-five klicks a seconds."

"We have seventeen minutes before they reach orbit, maybe another five at most until they hit ground and swarm everyone here."

All eyes were on Samus Aran, who until now had been silent as she watched everyone else argue over her. "It's what happened on Zebes, admiral." Her own eyes were looking to him, pleading to be let out of the restricting harness. "They swarmed us in the middle of the night, the defense grid never detected them, or even put up a fight."

It answered his worst fears in reading the message that she had been trying to reach him and had been detained since over a month prior; Zebes had already fallen. "I am making this a direct order, and I don't care which of you glorified babysitters does what I say!" A finger pointed at the girl, his expression raging as he barked the next order. "Get that thing off of her, give her back any weapons she had with her, and get her to her god damn ship so we can evacuate anyone we can!"

"This is my jurisdiction, you pompous, nepotistic-"

"And someone put this idiot in cuffs and on a shuttle so we can get the hell out of here, and I can rake his ass for defying a direct order in a court-martial later!"

The heavy click of live ammo rifles made it clear to Harper and his accompanying MPs that Dane was not just blowing hot air. One of the marines held her hand out, in no way vague about demanding the control key for the binder harness. Drawing out a defiant silence, the corporal who had led Samus from the isolation block pulled the device in question from his fatigues' pocket and tapped in a series of commands. Moment later, the harnessed restraint gave a series of heavy _clicks_ of its own just before slipping off the blonde girl's arms and shoulders to _thud_ loudly on the pavement floor.

"Escort her to her ship," came the barked order to the prison corporal as Dane then gestured to his own escorts and pulled the magnetically clamped heavy pistol from the thigh plate of his combat armor. "We have less than fifteen minutes to before those bastards make orbit, another five at best before they hit ground. Get any live ammo you have here, and get to whatever shuttles you have."

"Admiral, what about the colony?" The question came from the corporal who was manning the operations desk. "Sir, there's five thousand people in Clio City and the mines. We can't evacuate them ourselves, we have no ships except for half a dozen surface shuttles."

He looked to her, his expression worn and filled with regret. He didn't have the heart to say what they all already knew aloud. "Tell them to get as many people into underground shelters or even the mines and seal them off with what emergency atmospherics they have, but we have just over half an hour before that thing gets here, and maybe ten before their landers arrive." It was obvious what was going to happen now. All they could do was get out. "Evacuate who you can, and get off this rock."

"Goddamnit, you aren't taking anyone anywhe-"

And almost deafening _crack_ echoed as the blonde girl was across the room in seconds and slamming her balled fist into Harper's face. Like the prisoners she had fought off days before, Samus had cracked his nose enough that blood was gushing down his face, leaving the captain to collapse even while he recoiled from the shockingly sudden pain.

"Cadet Aran!"

She went stiff, forced learned reactions kicking up from the sound of Dane's voice in what she knew was his "authoritative admiral" tone. After a moment, Samus took a breath, turned sharply on her heel, and looked at the admiral as best she could. "Admiral...He was going to stall our-"

"Is this how you ended up in those binders, Samus?" His eyes were hard from frustration, both from Harper's stubbornness and her own actions in punching the prison's captain in the face. "The truth, Samus. Were you being held for assaulting the prison sector staff?"

"No, Admiral. They threw me in here after I was threatened with electroshock stunning by local security when I arrived, because I fought back." With a pause, Samus looked down at Harper, who was still holding his nose and being treated by the corporal who had escorted her up. "To be honest...that's the first time I wasn't actually acting in self-defense."

His eyes shifted to Harper. The captain was likely to refute such accusations, though he had never known Samus to lie about anything, even if to protect herself, and they honestly had no time at this point to hunt for any records. "All of you in here, including that idiot, follow us to the Goshawk. Corporal, direct Miss Aran to where her ship is being kept, then scramble what security you have, warn the city to take shelter, and order an evacuation. We have ten minutes before the Kromus get here, and we need to leave before that ship of theirs reaches orbit."

The MPs helped Harper to his feet and led him following the admiral while the corporal led Samus toward the impound hanger. She tapped a switch on her belt unit, starting a low alarm tone throughout the prison even while lifting the same device to her lips. "Clio Air Control, this is Corporal Vanner at Erato center. We have incoming hostiles, signal evacuation to any deep shelters available, we're loading up staff here to get clear."

" _Say again...we have hostiles inbound?_ "

"Sixty million metric tons of Kromus megaship, popped in at four-fifty kiloklicks from orbit, landers launched and coming in hot. We have no time or ships for a full evac, so get those people to shelter now."

The alarm tone was still echoing in the corridors as they could hear a distant thunder of what Samus recognized immediately as short range bombardment rounds. "They're already here," she muttered under her breath. It was a minute later that the corporal led her into the impound hanger, where the lithe red and yellow Chozo runabout was waiting. The corporal hurried over to the release controls even as Samus was racing to the entry hatch of the craft. Another sound of thunder as she keyed the entry open, allowing her inside to see the containment chamber in the back of the main cabin, and her armor stored within, silently charging and eating for her this entire time.

"Aran! The admiral and Captain Harper are cut off, we have Kromus already inside the prison!"

Eyes went wide. Dane would tell her to run now and hurry to Sol, to warn everyone. They all knew what was coming once that Pirate megaship reached orbit and pulled its own landers back, they had seen it done over a hundred planets in the war. The Federation had to know what had happened, the terrible threat the Kromus had truly become.

But she couldn't abandon him, no more than he could abandon her. Her brow narrowed even as she sat herself in pilot's chair, activating the runabout's repulsor drive and lifting the vessel off the ground. "Get in!" she cried out to the corporal, leaving the entry hatch open just long enough for her now boarding passenger to do as ordered and seating herself while Samus brought the lithe craft around toward the hanger opening. We have maybe half an hour before that monster ship gets here, and we need to get the admiral to safety."

"Hang on, what the hell are we doing? Does this thing have any weapons on it we didn't see?"

A tap at the console before her to ready the main thrust drives. She knew she was far from ready for this, but Samus also knew she had no choice. A man who she owed so much to had come to get her away from the nightmare, and she could not leave him to be claimed by it. "It does," the girl responded just before firing the main drives and sending the runabout racing out of the hanger. They were overhead the landing platform within seconds, allowing Samus to see where Dane and his entourage were now pinned by Kromus forces. The Goshawk gunship was intact still, but they needed a clear path. One she could make.

A few taps on the console, setting the ship in the navcom's control while she stood up and moved onto the central lift platform, the same one on which Maru had left to buy her time. An eye went to her powered suit, a lacing shock of fear and hesitation coursing her veins. She was afraid, because despite lessons given to her by the Chozo, all the training she received at the Academy, nothing could have prepared her for the sheer reality of what she was about to face.

And she couldn't run away from it anymore.

"It's got me."

Shock eyes looked at her as the lift rose up, a panel sliding open in the ceiling to reveal the retracting irised entry hatch up top. She could hear the energy discharge and weapons fire between the Kromus and Dane's escorts. They had managed to pick a few more prison guards as extra hands, but it wasn't enough to match seven or eight Pirates who were moving in on them. They needed something more. Something that had been made for this very purpose.

And as she fully emerged from the shuttle, Samus took a deep breath, tensed her body, and charged down the of the shuttle. Her feet pushed off, sending her flying through the air as she descended toward the surface. Her right hand slapped against the left breastplate of her armor, initiating a crackling surge of electrical charge from the lit-up sigil that swarmed out over her body. The same cascade of lacing energy washed over the yellow and red suit of powered armor, pulling it into nothingness as it began to reform over Samus mere fractions of a second later. Vibrant colored plates shimmered as her now armor clad body plummeted down and came to a thunderous landing while dust and dirt exploded up from the cratered ground.

As the cloud of debris settled, the Kromus invaders slowly aimed various firearms. Some were the brownish eel headed Urtraghans, tridactyl hands gripping their rifles and plasma launchers, while the towering black shelled Kromus themselves readied the biological energy projection nodes inside their claws. A flash of green light came from in the dust, and then a series of blazing yellow bursts flared out to slam full force into the head of one of the Kromus Pirates. Carapace armor exoskeleton shattered into pieces in the first impact, a second smashing the outer framing mandibles into fragments that flew away, giving an opening for the third shot to impact and rupture the arthropod's face into a shower of chitin and internal pulp.

And as the dust cleared, one towering form collapsed to the ground, both Pirates and the humans they had been attacking stared at the figure clad in burnished yellow and red armor, who was rising up from a kneeling landing and training her viridian arm cannon on the Kromus. The forward barrel plates snapped open and swung back to expose the now formed and loaded micro-missile, while the gleaming green visor of the red helmet was tilted downward to indicate a deathly glare from the young woman inside of it.

"That was for Platinum Chest," came the distorted vocals from inside the armor. There was a _click_ from the cannon as the Kromus took a step back, as if not sure what they were looking at. "And this is for the others."

A roar was heard as the ballistic missile launched at supersonic velocity, impacting against the lead Kromus and propelling the Pirate back several feet before detonating into a shower of chunks and shattered chitin. The site was enough to draw their attentions and give the armored human a very wide opening as she charged into the group of arthropods and brought her cannon up to jam the muzzle opening between the dual jaws of one of the Urtraghans. It screeched at her just before the emitter opening flared and a brilliant burst of yellow light ripped through the pirates head, through the brain cavity, and out the top of its head with a thunder. A grunt was heard as Samus grabbed the still standing and half-headless corpse by the ridged collar plating of its exoskeleton, then swung around the dead Urtraghan just as one of the larger Kromus aimed with their claws and fired a pair of crackling blue beams from the glowing nodes inside the claws.

The corpse snapped back from the kinetic force impact of the twin blue beams, another such pair slamming into the dead Urtraghan's back and throwing huge chunks of chitin plate and scorched meat out. With a grin as she pushed through the cluster now, Samus flung the dead body at its fellow, firing another missile and causing the still living Kromus to explode like the first target of such firepower. Another of the lobster clawed Kromus screeched at the armored figure, aiming a single biobeam node, but the snap action shot from the emerald cannon slammed a bright yellow pulse into the organic energy weapon, causing it to explode and send pieces of the claw pincer strewn across the landing pad tarmac. The Kromus could only screech in agony and rage as the yellow armor raced up and cracked that arm cannon hard across its race, fragments of chitin and broken mandible flying even as the sheer force of the impact threw the Kromus itself into an unwilling flip that landed it front first on the ground.

The remaining Urtraghans, three of them, roared and moved in, firing their own plasma rifles at the armored figure. One shot glanced her shielding, causing a bright golden grid to appear briefly mere millimeters from the plated surface of her suit. Her posture tensed for a moment as a other volley was fired her way. As soon as the shiver went up her spin, Samus launched herself into a corkscrew twist through the air, slipping through the plasma bursts even as she spun around and brought her own arm cannon to bare and fired a quick trio of yellow pulses. Her feet hit the ground again just as those beam pulses slammed into their targets, cracking exoarmor and sending the Urtraghans stumbling back from the impacts. In a flash, Samus was running up again, this time jumping and catching one of the pirates by the head with her legs. Her body swung itself, allowing her left-hand to grab one of the other Urtraghan by the neck, and then throwing her full weight to drag both of them to the ground. An explosive _pop_ was heard as she slammed her cannon into one pirate's head, caving in its skull as it went into spasm. The pirate she had leg locked grabbed at her armored thigh, only for the girl to squeeze as hard as she could. It gasped, struggling to free itself, then went limp as a sickening thick _snap_ came from its neck.

One was left. As she stood up again, the remaining Urtraghan pirate took a step back. It was clearly assessing what it had just witnessed, gauging its own chances...and then threw the plasma rifle in its tridactyl claws to the ground and ran for its life. The yellow armored figure shook off the layer of dust on her back, lifted her cannon, and tracked the pirate even as the barrel snapped open, gave a heavy _click_ that signaled missile load, then recoiled as the micro-ballistic shot off and impacted with a fireball.

Her cannon shifted back into beam emitter configuration again, leaving the power armor clad young woman to catch her breath once everything caught up with her. She had really done _that_. Seven Kromus pirates, scattered across the tarmac, and it was all her.

"Nice to see that academy training put to some impressive use."

Her body turned sharply at the sound of Dane's voice. It was after a moment she realized that the others she had just saved were staring at her, _especially_ Captain Harper. More so, they were delaying when they had little to no time to spare. "Corporal Vanner picked up your situation on the comnet, and since we had my shuttle ready, I decided-"

"We can talk later." With a nod to his escorts, Dane led the accompanying prison staff into the waiting Goshawk. "Get back to your ship and get the hell off this rock, Samus. Once that megaship gets here, they will burn the surface to glass, and we need to get on the _Dauntless_ asap so we can get the hell out of this system."

Her runabout was already come down to retrieve her. With a nod, mostly for her own benefit, Samus hurried to the hovering craft and kept up to land atop the shuttle's roof. The lift platform was still there, waiting, and as she stepped back on it, the platform slowly lowered Samus back inside, the iris hatch and sealing panel sliding shut above her. Corporal Vanner was staring, expectantly, at her suit, but right now, she didn't have time to explain. "Get in a seat and hold on," came the distorted voice as she sat in the pilot's seat and began tapping on the control console.

There was a rumble as the gravity repulsors began powering the runabout away from the tarmac, and outside, Samus could see Dane's Goshawk was doing the same. A other set of adjustments while the dropship fired its own drives, and the runabout launched itself upward toward space, leaving the prison sector behind as more of the Kromus' own troop carriers were arriving. They had made it just in time, though in the back of her mind, Samus knew that they had been forced to abandon most of the prison sector staff, let alone the inmates themselves.

And then, as they pushed through the stratosphere, reaching into actual space, Samus could see it. Four kilometers long, maybe two tall and one wide. The vessel was massive, bigger than anything she had ever read about save the infamous _Cunning Death._ And yet, she remembered the thing she had seen in her escape from Zebes, the massive blade structure that had to have been even bigger.

The Goshawk shot away as it cleared the atmosphere, free to fire its full sublight drive power and race away toward the rectangular shape in the distance that Samus recognized as a Confederation carrier. The Goshawk was racing ahead of her, leading her ship in as they crossed the distance and came into the pressure-field contained hanger bay. A few moments while she put her ship into its landing cycle, and a breath of relief for being free after over a month in the prison's isolation block.

" _All hands, prepare for slipspace jump. Lock down launch bays and hanger._ "

Amber colors lights pulsed as the hanger entryway slowly closed via a series of sealant panels. Deck crews were already hurrying to their stations, and with a sigh, Samus keyed open the entry hatch to allow her own passenger to leave. "Get going," she stated as she stood, now flashing with light moments before her armor peeled away as energy and was reformed inside the containment chamber. As the corporal did as directed, Samus took her own time walking out the entry hatch and getting a good look at the flight deck. The Goshawk was already being stored away in preparation for the jump to slipspace, and her own runabout was fine on its own. With a sigh, the blonde girl walked down the deck toward the primary service lift, knowing that she was sticking out like a sore thumb aboard the carrier, but she needed to get to Dane and tell him everything.

* * *

"Kromus vessel is already retrieving their landers, and orbital position is consistent with plasma drop protocols."

His face grimaced as he nodded. The sight before them on the main screens was one he had seen all too often during the war. Many of those crewing the _Dauntless_ , including her nominal captain, had only read about this in schools and history reviews. He had witnessed it firsthand in similar situations, and those of the fleet who done so had a term for what the Kromus were even now positioning their ship for.

"Exterminus Protocol," came the whispered words. Castor Dane closed his eyes for a long moment as he felt the memories of this very scene, repeated over and over during the war, flood back. "Bastards are going to burn the biosphere to the ground." His eyes opened again, expression stoic as he turned his gaze to where the holographic projection of what resembled a mechanical brain hovered over the tactical table. "Two-Two-Seven, run navcoms and course for galactic coordinates three-zero-nine-eight point one-five-nine-five by zero-two-five spinward, zero-zero-three ascendant, designation Foxtrot Sierra One-Seven-Six."

"Calculating course, admiral." The projection of the Aurora Unit's avatar flickered and shifted as it began processing the ordered course. A minute later, the image steadied. "Admiral, those galactic coordinates are listed as a singularity quarantine zone. I cannot complete the course calculations as ordered under Federation Statute-"

"Two-Two-Seven, this is under the authority of Confederation Armed Forces Commander in Chief General Rodham Morris. Set course for FS-176 and get us into slipspace. We are in a hurry, those bastards are about to light up Calliope-IX and come after us next."

"Federation Statute Seven-three of the Interstellar Travel Codes strictly prohibits entry into any quarantine category zone, except under recognized wartime operations-"

"Pull the god damn plug on that malfunctioning thing, wake the Navcom AI up, and someone at the helm get us the hell out of here!"

The ship slowly turned as maneuvering repulsors strained to rotate the five million metric tons of durasteel as fast as the gravitational manipulation drives could push. Small thruster ports flared in attempt to assist the primary repulsors, and as it made enough of a turn to begin breaking orbit, the _Dauntless_ fired its main sublight drives, pushing it away from Calliope-IX even as a series of flaring objects shot from the massive Kromus vessel and toward the moon's surface. The furthest one suddenly winked out before a surge of orange-yellow flame rippled out from where it had been, several more ripples of plasmic fire roiling out in succession as the launched plasma bombs ignited the atmosphere. More pulses of light rained down, igniting a massive roil of plasmic waves that spread out, burning everything on the surface and literally cooking the atmosphere off the planet.

The sight was enough to silence the entire bridge as they watched on the main screens. Dane found that, even after having witnessed it so many times in the war, he still could not stomach it. He closed his eyes after the first of the plasma ripples could be seen, knowing all too well what was coming. "Helm, get us out of here and on the way to FS-176. There's nothing else we can do."

The carrier pushed away as more bombs could be seen crossing the distance between the Kromus vessel and Calliope-IX. It didn't take long, at that point, for the bright blue-white swirling vortex of slipspace to open and consume the Confederation vessel, leaving no trace of it as the moon continued to burn.


End file.
